The Call Of Duty
by HikariFate
Summary: Action and many adventures is what brings this new story, where the most important thing is the answer to one question... will you be able to open your heart and fight for what mostly want? As long as you survive the war..
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Hello everyone, I'm finally back with this new story which is originally to **Infamous21** (yes, it's the same author I translated first). Well I'm translating this story as a request, so I'm gotta confess that I myself have only read three chapters so I really don't know much about it, but anyway, I hope everyone likes it, also I'm gonna try and translate another story at the same time as this one, since this was a request it really isn't my main story at the moment, I'll see how I make it work, but anyway go ahead and read, I also posted chapter one by the way, hope you like it.

**Disclaimer: **This story and any characters used in it don't belong to me, they belong to their rightful owners.

* * *

**Prologue**

**Mid-Childa Central Base**

"So you are, Fate T. Harlaown" said the man from his desk.

Fate looked at him before getting up, revealing all her majesty in that simple gesture, her white coat fell to her feet with elegance while her hair, tied in a nice ponytail, did the same through her back.

"Yes, that's me" she said in a calm tone.

The man looked up and down at her before smiling, a smile that Fate didn't like at all, knowing it meant inferiority, he was underestimating her and she hated it deeply.

"You do know we are at war, right?" asked the man.

"I know, sir" Fate said.

"And you know that my unit doesn't have errors" he said again.

"I know, sir" Fate repeated.

The man rose from his seat and approached her without taking his eyes away from her. He looked at her as if she were only another cadet and smiled again as he pulled his badge out of his pocket.

"Do you know what this is, Enforcer Testarossa?" asked the man.

"Yes, it means you're the one in charge"

"That's right… and as such, I want to know why you're _here_ rather than with your daughter and partner, Takamachi, in a safe place" said the man.

Fate couldn't suppress the surprise when hearing that the man knew Nanoha and Vivio, but she also couldn't suppress the longing and sadness that those names caused on her… because Vivio was no longer her daughter.

Or Nanoha her partner.

"I can't leave just like that, sir" Fate answered.

"Screw that, Testarossa, I'm asking for the truth" said the man.

Then he showed her a document, one with Hayate's signature on it, which clearly asked him not to accept Fate in his squad, as the Enforcer wasn't prepared for the war that was coming or anything that could come with it.

"She knew I would do it…" Fate whispered.

"Tell me the truth, Testarossa. Give me a reason to ignore what Capitan Yagami said and welcome you into my team, because if you're here to fight, I'll take you in with pleasure, but if it's due to personal issues…" the man warned.

Partly, it was because she wanted to fight to protect the world that had given her so much, the only place she could call home without remembering the nightmares; here lived her friends, family, and she had to fight to protect it.

Although a part of her, a dark one, one she didn't even want to see, one called jealousy, was also a reason. She knew she had left because of the way Yuuno had made his way into the family, having dinner with Nanoha's parents, herself and Vivio.

That had been the moment when Fate knew she no longer fit in that picture, and she had to leave, the sooner the better, her back luck had been to tell Hayate about it.

Who had scolded her with desire as she begged her not to give up so easily, and to see that not everything was lost, but it was…

Everything was lost, she had had a thousand opportunities to confess to Nanoha, but she had never done it and now it had ended this way.

But now she didn't have time for feelings, not when she had to fight to make the world safe for Vivio, for Nanoha and for everyone she loved.

"I'm here for my country and for my people, sir and I'll give my life if necessary to save what remains of this world." Fate said decisively.

The man looked at her with a smile before ripping Hayate's paper, finally believing her and approaching her with a steady gaze, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Prepare yourself Testarossa, because you're in a war worse than you can imagine" said the man.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Ten weeks later, Section Six Base_

Hayate beat her pen against the table for the fourth time while waiting for a reply, she had waited days, weeks, for General Sanderson to contact her and tell her that Fate was returning home from her hasty and suicidal departure.

But there was nothing, there had been no response and she was getting desperate.

"Yagami" said Sanderson.

"I want to know where my Enforcer is, Sanderson" Hayate said curtly.

The man sighed, knowing her, he should have known this was coming. He couldn't just take her Enforcer, and best friend, and put her into suicidal missions as if it was a picnic.

"She is here, in the barracks" he said.

Before asking what she was doing, Hayate hit the table with such force that it even surprised Sanderson, because she knew, she knew that Fate would find a way to stay. That idiot was risking her life just because Nanoha was clueless of her own feelings.

"I want to speak with her" Hayate said.

"Eh… I don't know if that's a good idea" Sanderson said.

"I don't care what you think, put her on, now" Hayate said.

Sanderson decided to do as she asked, not because she might do something to him, since he was above her and she couldn't kill him right now, but because…

She could ruin his mission.

Hayate looked as if she was about to have a heart attack.

"For the record, I do it for the mission" he said.

"Bring her here, Sanderson" Hayate said.

He nodded and called one of his men, who quickly responded to his call, but the news he got were not in his favor, at all.

_There is something worse than war and that is a woman the size of Yagami, angry._

"So… she went out to make some investigations?" Sanderson asked.

"Yes, sir… she headed for the Atlas Canyon" said the officer.

Sanderson almost choked hearing what his officer had said and he could see Hayate tremble with rage behind him, which was bad…

Very bad.

"When did she leave?" he asked his office.

"An… an hour ago" he answered.

The hit that came next was so strong that some officers moved to see Sanderson pushing his cadet against the wall as her put his hands around his neck.

"Why was I not informed about it?" Sanderson asked.

"Sir… you're… choking me" the officer said.

"Answer!" shouted the General.

The officers looked at their General with fear, knowing that his reaction could only mean that something was terribly wrong.

"She… said that… she'd be fine… alone" the cadet breathed.

Sanderson dropped the officer and looked at everyone else before returning to Hayate, who looked like she could kill someone…

And in reality, she could.

"You can't interfere" Sanderson said.

"Get her out of there" Hayate replied.

He could see the tension, fear and anger growing inside of his friend, but even if she wanted, she couldn't come, it would jeopardize the mission and alert the enemies.

"I will, you make sure Takamachi doesn't get involved" Sanderson said.

"That will be complicated" she said.

Sanderson knew it also, the name of Nanoha Takamachi had spread like a plague and she was something he couldn't deal with at that moment, therefore, he could only think of a way to neutralize her.

"Tell her she died" Sanderson whispered.

"What! Are you crazy!" Hayate shouted.

_That's what it seems…_

If she didn't do it, he would have all of the Section Six there and that was the last thing he needed if he wanted things to succeed.

"It's the only way" he said.

"I can say she left for a mission and…"

"No, you know Takamachi won't settle for that, you know she'll try to contact her and that can't happen" he cut her.

And Hayate knew, as much as it hurt, that it was true, it was the only way to stop Nanoha and the others.

"I hate it when you're right" Hayate whispered.

"I know, me too, now I'm off to look for you Enforcer" he said.

Hayate watched as he got prepared to leave, because it wasn't just a simple mission to investigate, she knew Sanderson would go well prepared and she hoped Fate had also.

"I'll bring her back, Hayate" Sanderson told her.

"I believe you, good luck" Yagami said.

And so, he left, leaving Hayate with a feeling she had only felt when Reinforce had left her side.

_The world is not worth it._

For if the secret of his mission became public, no one, nor the civilians or the mages would be safe.

If her suspicions were right, the origin of artificial mages was about to be revealed in the worst way.

* * *

The road that lead to the Atlas Canyon wasn't very rocky, in fact, she was surprised that Sanderson hadn't asked for that place to be investigated before.

That's why she was there, they wouldn't want any surprise attacks from that area.

"I wonder what's around here…" Fate murmured.

She climbed to the top of the canyon to take a look from there, since she would be able to see everywhere around her. A unique landscape, which stole her breath away, appeared before her with a clarity that made her feel on top of the world.

"Incredible…" she murmured.

It wasn't only a perfect place to enjoy the view it offered, but it also gave her access to all the hiding places of the mountains, she could even see her base located at the center of the mountains, covered with trees and rocks which made it almost invisible…

Almost…

"I have to tell Sanderson about this" Fate said.

She began to look for a way to get down from that place, when she saw something she had overlooked before, there were caves.

Many caves.

"Maybe I should take a look" she said to herself.

_Maybe not…_

But her curiosity had been something that always won, even as a child, so she let herself be driven by it and began to look through the caves in search of something she still wasn't sure what it was.

"There aren't even animals here" she whispered.

She had been searching for a while and still found nothing, so discouraged about not being able to discover something important, she decided to return to the base, until…

"Who's there?" Fate asked.

It was the sound of footsteps which she couldn't mistake. Something or someone was there, very close to her, making her whole body shudder with its presence.

"Who are you…" whispered a voice.

"Who are _you_?" Fate asked.

From the shadows, Fate began to recognize a figure with short hair and small in height, which started to walk towards her with fear and determination.

"I live here" the person said.

"I just got here" Fate replied.

Then Fate felt a tapping on her arm and the next thing she knew was that she was against the wall, held by arms that kept her there no matter her efforts to free herself from its grip.

"Who are you…" repeated the person.

"I won't tell you anything until I know you are" Fate said.

The grip was now also intensified in her neck, while Fate got the feeling of running out of air and started to lose consciousness.

_I have to do something…_

"Thoma, that's enough…" said another voice.

Whoever was holding her, just let her go and looked at her as she tried to breathe now lying on the floor, barely seeing how another figure appeared beside the first and tenderly touched his arm.

"She could be dangerous" Thoma said.

"I don't think so, she doesn't seem dangerous" said the woman.

Fate wanted to get up and prove that what the woman said was right, but for some reason, her lungs couldn't let her breathe and she began to feel like she was about to faint…

But she didn't want to faint.

_I can't stay at their mercy…_

"You're too trusting" Thoma said.

"One never knows, maybe she can help us" replied the woman.

"Whatever you say…" the boy sighed.

Fate could hear them, but for some reason she couldn't understand what they were saying and she was beginning to feel her strength failing and everything was becoming more and more black.

"Hurry, we got to get her out of here" said the woman.

"She doesn't look good" said Thoma.

"She probably can't withstand the power of our presence, return to your normal form and let's take her home"

"What? Come on, Lily, she could be a potential danger" said Thoma.

Fate could sense some irritation on the woman as she adjusted her energy and approached her to help her.

"Shut up and help me" said Lily.

The boy sighed before following her and between the two, they took Fate to an unknown place to her, and she just let herself be taken, as she was unable to do anything about it.

_I'm doomed…_

* * *

**A/N:** Well so that's all for now, I hope you like the story so far, I'll try and get the next chapter done fast. Please review, they are really appreciated and make me happy when I read them. See you later :)


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Hayate had gathered everyone, from Nanoha, who was sitting in the front row, to Yuuno, sitting in the last. Everyone who knew Fate stood before her, ready for the meeting that she had arranged.

_I feel dirty…_

She couldn't believe what she was about to do, she was going to lie, she was going to deceive all of these people for the good of the outside world, she was going to see how her own world went down in seconds.

"I've gathered all of you here because I have something important to tell you" Hayate said.

The others waited impatiently for the news, but Hayate felt her throat dry as she watched Chrono with Amy and their children, Lindy who seemed to know something was wrong; she trembled when she saw Signum, Shamal, Vita and Zafira with serious faces and waiting expectantly for what she would say, Yuuno who looked as if he could really feel how bad the situation was, Nanoha's family, always calm, now looked as if they were about to break…

But what really brought tears to her eyes, were exactly Nanoha and Vivio, the two remained calm, as if none of this had to do with them and Hayate felt like she couldn't do it, she couldn't and didn't want to make Vivio cry…

She didn't want to upset Nanoha.

_You don't have another option, Yagami, do it or everything will go to waste._

"What I have to say is that…" the Commander sighed.

She looked away from everyone around her, she had to breathe and say it, she had to be aware of the reactions and consequences and unintentionally, a tear escaped her eyes as she waited for just that…

The consequences.

"Hayate, are you okay?" asked Vita.

"Yes… don't worry…" Hayate whispered.

She breathed again, taking a deep breath with every beat of her heart as she raised her eyes and looked at nothing specific, forcing her lips to move…

"Fate-chan…" she whispered. "… She died…"

She closed her eyes waiting for all the reactions to hit her, but after a few seconds she felt nothing, there was nothing, not a sound, nothing…

_Something's wrong…_

She opened her eyes and looked at all the people gathered there, who continued to look at her as if they were in a trance. Hayate was forced to repeat what she had said in order to get a reaction.

"Fate-chan is dead" she repeated to everyone.

She waited again, still without any kind of reaction and she looked at Nanoha, who only looked at her daughter with blank eyes and not moving.

_You're not being clear, Yagami…_

"Guys, I said…" she began.

"Stop…" she heard Nanoha.

Hayate looked at her best friend seeing how she clenched her fists with so much force her knuckles turned white, Vivio next to her, seemed to be holding back her tears and the rest was in some state of shock.

And Hayate just stood there, hating herself for lying, while Nanoha ran out of the place and the rest began to react with screams, tears and furious whispers.

_You're doing it for the greater good, Hayate…_

Although at that moment, it didn't seem like so…

* * *

Sanderson was a man who had grown up in the mountains, he knew all and every single one of the trails and hideouts in that place, and still he was having trouble looking for every place Fate might have been.

"I knew that blonde would only bring me problems…" he whispered to himself.

He had heard about Fate T. Harlaown in the past and he knew her whole record by memory, as well as he knew who her best friends were and about her adopted daughter; and he knew she had the word 'PROBLEM' written on her forehead.

And yet, he couldn't help allowing her in his team, not only because of her excellent record, but because at that time she looked so lost, he decided that she could begin a new stage there, with them…

"What nonsense…" he murmured.

He kelp walking when suddenly an invisible force threw him out of his trail and left his on the ground.

_What the hell was that?_

He got up and looked around, not seeing anything that attracted attention, but something had hit him, that was for sure, so his attention intensified with urgency and agility.

"Who's there?" he asked.

Nothing happened and nobody answered, so he slowly walked to the point where he had been hit, noticing a strong energy coming from where minutes earlier he had been stopped.

"Incredible…" he whispered.

It was some sort of invisible barrier, almost palpable as his had approached it, there was something in there which they didn't want to be discovered and he only hoped that Fate hadn't got herself involved in it too…

Although, knowing her, he knew it was more than likely that she was right there, getting into some sort of trouble.

Now he had two problems to solve:

Finding out if Fate was somewhere inside that barrier and if she was, he had to figure out a way to get her out.

It couldn't be that hard, right?

* * *

When she woke up again, Fate felt how someone kept on staring at her as they removed something wet from her head, she heard the sound of water and once again she felt something wet and cold in her head.

"Thoma, come here" said the girl.

Fate could identified the voice as the one she had heard in the cave and she tried to focus her gaze at the people who were talking in front of her, trying to figure out what was going on around her.

"What are you going to do with her?" asked the boy.

"You? Don't you mean _we_?" said the girl.

"You brought her, you take care of her" replied the boy.

Fate moved a little, while they were still talking, unsuccessfully trying to make herself noticed.

"She's not a dog" said the girl.

"But she's a nuisance" he said.

"I-I'm… here…" Fate whispered.

Lily approached her and smiled as she helped her sit up in the bed, while Thoma looked at her as if he would attack at any moment.

"How're you feeling?" asked the girl.

"Fine… a little dizzy…" Fate replied.

"Don't worry, it'll go away in a moment" she answered.

Fate smiled and closed her eyes as she felt her energy slowly coming back to her, then she looked at the two individuals she had before her remembering what had happened in the cave with them.

"You wanted to kill me" Fate told the boy.

"No, I wanted to figure out who you are" he answered.

The girl looked at him from the side and he just looked away, as if he didn't care about his partner's anger.

"Forgive him, he acts like a little kid sometimes" she said.

"Don't worry…" Fate murmured.

"By the way, my name is Lily and he is Thoma" Lily said.

Fate looked at the girl who was talking as if they knew each other of a lifetime, she was short, with long white hair and she was extremely nice, while the boy had short black hair, and although he seemed very young, he had an appearance of seriousness and determination.

"I… am Enforcer Fate T. Harlaown" she said.

Then she saw how Lily covered her mouth with her hands and Thoma looked at her as if saying her name was like seeing a ghost.

"What… what's wrong?" Fate asked.

"Are you the artificial mage Testarossa?" Thoma asked.

"The one from project F?" Lily added.

Fate began to feel the famous fear that appeared in her when she was little while she waited for her mother to appear. Those people knew about her birth and they knew she wasn't quite human…

"How do you know that?" Fate asked.

Lily looked at Thoma, who nodded his head agreeing to what she was going to say next.

"Well… let's say we are a version of you… improved" Lily whispered.

Fate was about to ask what she were talking about, when an explosion caused the walls to rumble and she felt strong power coming from the other side of the wall.

They were attacking them…

"Thoma…" Lily whispered.

"Yes… it's the Hückebein" said the boy.

"Who?" Fate asked.

Then she saw four shapes standing in front of them, they seemed very powerful and dangerous, and they were looking at them as if they were bait for animals.

"Look what we have here" said a girl with red hair.

"Seems like will kill two birds of one stone" said a boy with white hair.

Thoma stood in front of Fate and Lily and looked angrily at his attackers, apparently, they were the bad guys, and Fate felt the need to fight against them, mainly because of her sympathy for Lily, although she still had the feeling of not being more than a simple experiment.

_We are a version of you… improved…_

What did that mean?

"Get them, but remember, we need the blonde alive, Fortis wants to examine her" said a muscular guy standing behind the other two,

"Bardiche! Set Up!" Fate shouted.

The place got filled with a bright light as Fate reappeared before them with her famous barrier jacket and determination shining in her eyes.

"If you want us…" murmured the blonde. "…You'll have to catch us"

She pointed Bardiche against her enemies while Thoma looked at her, and with a smile, he turned to look at Lily, who watched Fate with admiration.

"I might start liking her" said the boy.

Because, if the studies were right, she would be the key to getting rid of a problem much greater than the war they had started.

* * *

**A/N: **So that was the second chapter, seems to be getting interesting right? As i said before, I haven't really read the story so I also don't know what's gonna happen, also as some of you probably already know there are quite a few characters from _Force, _which i haven't read either, but anyway thanks for your reviews and, Shlabadak I think you're right this author does seem to like killing Fate and make Nanoha suffer, i guess that's their inspiration or something. Well I'll try and update everyday, but it's not a promise, K? I said i'll _ try. _Anyway thanks for reading and see ya later ;)


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_It was a beautiful garden, all full of flowers and gifts for her, there were even small chocolate hearts flying in the sky while she was looking for something in particular…_

_Or rather, someone…_

"_I'm here…" whispered a voice._

"_Where?" she asked._

"_Very close to you…" said again the voice._

_She kept on looking around her until she finally saw blond hair and a pair of burgundy eyes that had always looked at her with affection._

"_Fate-mama?" asked Vivio._

"_I'm here, honey" she said._

_Vivio ran through the distance that separated them while her mother opened her arms so she could receive her with a hug… but it didn't happen…_

_Vivio fell to the ground, passing through her mother's body, while Fate turned around and watched her with a look full of sadness._

"_I'm sorry, honey…" Fate said._

"_Fate-mama… help me…" Vivio murmured._

_She wanted her Fate-mama to embrace her again, like when she was younger and she would pick her up and hugged her whenever she fell, but that couldn't happen…_

_Not anymore, her Fate-mama would never embrace her again…_

"_You're a strong girl, Vivio, remember this when you feel you can't go on anymore…" Fate whispered._

_Then she saw her begin to disappear, her Fate-mama was leaving without her being able to do anything and with some effort, she stood up and stretched her hand to try and touch her again._

"_Don't leave! Fate-mama!"_

"_I love you, Vivio, never forget that" Fate said._

_No…_

"_No!" Vivio cried._

"Fate-mama" Vivio screamed.

Sweat poured down her forehead and her hand was stretched out like she trying to reach something while her breathing was fast and her heart felt like it wanted to come out of her chest.

It was all a dream…

Vivio passed her hand over her forehead as she was holding back the tears, she couldn't let herself be seen as weak when her Nanoha-mama was so… out of her character…

_Why did you leave our side, Fate-mama?_

That was the only question to which answer she didn't know, she knew that her mothers cared about each other more than what they were willing to admit and she knew Fate would do anything for Nanoha, even from a distance, but despite all she knew, nothing could explain what had happened to her family…

She sighed and got out of bed, not feeling like going back to sleep she went down stairs to get a glass of water, when she heard a noise in the living room and intrigued, she went to see what it was.

"Nanoha-mama?" Vivio asked.

Nanoha was there, sitting on the couch and staring at the television where the image of Fate was repeated again and again, then Vivo realized Nanoha was watching the video of her seventh birthday, where Fate and Nanoha had prepared her a big party.

"She… wanted everything to be perfect for you…" Nanoha whispered. "… always so attentive."

Vivio sat next to her mother and watched as Fate carried her cake while Nanoha clapped and sang happy birthday with a very excited and happy Vivio…

She was happy then…

"I missed her…" Vivo said.

"Me too, honey… a lot" Nanoha whispered.

Vivio noticed that her mother meant it in more than one way, she could feel her mother's heart beating slowly because she had lost someone dear to her.

And then she heard the door opening and blonde hair appeared in the room, but it wasn't the blonde hair she wanted to see and she suspected that it wasn't what her mother wanted either…

It was Yuuno.

"Nanoha…" whispered the man. "… stop it, you're just hurting yourself"

"I have the right to remember her…" Nanoha murmured.

"Yes, but you also have to move on with your life…" he began.

_With me…_

Vivio knew that's what he wanted to say, but she didn't even want to think about it, he wouldn't be able to replace her Fate-mama, never and she knew that her Nanoha-mama thought the same way as her, the only thing she still didn't understand was why Nanoha had invited Yuuno and, together with herself, to eat dinner at the Midoriya Café.

"She was my best friend…" Nanoha said.

"Nanoha… we already talked about this, she's dead and you can't do anything to change that fact" Yuuno said.

"I know!" Nanoha screamed.

Vivio could feel her mother breaking so she hugged her when she fell to the floor sobbing and with her body shaking, because the little girl knew that what her mothers had was more than just friendship.

"You loved her… right?" Yuuno suddenly said.

Nanoha froze and so did Vivio, not because it wasn't true, but because it was a truth that neither of them expected and that, Vivio knew, her mother wasn't ready to accept.

"Tell me the truth, Nanoha. You cry because above all, you didn't know how to express your love for her and now that she's gone you realize there will be no more 'tomorrow I'll do it'" Yuuno said, feeling defeated.

Vivio saw how her mother stood up, with tears still on her eyes, and face the man who had been her partner for the past two months, a man who everyone thought was the one she loved.

"You're absolutely right…" Nanoha whispered.

Yuuno sighed, his face showed no emotions, because he wasn't going to let himself be destroyed by that, but he needed to know why she had acted that way, he just wanted to know.

"Then, why?" he asked.

She sighed, sitting on the couch with Vivio close to her, and she looked at Yuuno trying to clear her ideas, she needed to clear everything up.

"At first, I did like you…" she began. "… you were my best friend, you were always there for me and you had been my childhood love, but then, she changed with me, she was more caring, more gentle in her touch and in her voice, she was my best friend and yet, when I was with her I felt like nothing could go wrong, it was as if we were perfect for each other, but…" Nanoha sighed.

"But?" Yuuno asked.

"But I was afraid…" Nanoha said. "… She started to be in my mind the whole time, when I looked at you, I saw her and everything always revolved around Fate-chan and then I began to notice her more, I was…

"Falling for her" Yuuno said.

"Yes… I feel in love with her, but she was always on missions, always so far from home, so I decided to look for something more stable, something that would always be there for me, besides, I didn't know what she could feel for me" she said.

Yuuno nodded knowing how hard it must have been for her, because not only had she fallen in love with her best friend, but she also had to face the fact that she was often away and didn't know if she felt the same way as her, but there was still one thing he needed to solve.

"If you felt all that, why did you invite me to dinner with you parents?" he asked.

Nanoha smiled then, a small smile for her loving family who had always supported her in everything.

"My family… they knew I was in love with Fate-chan and that I was looking for a way to break up with you without hurting you so much, so they thought of inviting you to dinner and once we were alone, I would tell you the truth" Nanoha said.

"Then why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"Because…" she whispered. "… again, I was afraid. I got a message saying that Fate-chan had left again and I thought I wouldn't have a chance to speak with her…" she sighed. "… I never imagined I would never be able to talk to her again…"

Yuuno saw her eyes fill with tears again and he himself struggled no to cry, because he had also lost, not only Nanoha's love, but also a friend in Fate.

_I'm sorry, Fate…_

And he hugged her, because yes, he had lost a lot, but no more than Nanoha, because she had lost the opportunity to be with the person she loved, because Fate loved her in the same way as her, he knew it.

But she didn't and he decided not to add more salt to the wound and just let it heal, because although he wished that all his years between books would give him a solution, the truth was he didn't have one…

And the worst was, that there wasn't even a possibility.

* * *

Hayate arrived home after another of those endless reports that threatened to have her awake all night, but luckily it didn't happen…

Although in reality, it wasn't like she could sleep much after what she had said that morning, much less after seeing all the reactions.

_You don't know what you have until you lose it…_

Of all of them, beside herself, Nanoha and Vivio, the most affected had been Signum. It was obvious to her when she saw her leave to practice that a strong nostalgia was present on the warrior, probably remembering her sparring partner.

"Signum, are you okay?" Hayate asked as she watched the warrior going out for the third time that day.

"Yes, I'm going to train" she simply said.

And Hayate didn't reply anything else, because none of them knew how to express the loss of a loved one and each one tried to do it their own way.

Signum trained non-stop.

Vita didn't talk about it and if she did, she ended up angry.

Shamal had cried and remembered Fate with a smile every time she was mentioned.

And Zafira had sworn on his desk that he would protect everyone the same way she had.

As for her, she still waited for some news from Sanderson about her whereabouts, because she definitely didn't want what she had said to turn into reality.

_You have to come back, and see all the love out there for you, Fate-chan._

Because she herself needed to see her best friend and hug her and scold her for abruptly leaving, because it was stupid to run away when you have love right there, in front of you.

_Sanderson, please make contact…_

"Hayate, dinner's ready…" Shamal said.

She nodded and looked at her cell phone once again as she left it on the nightstand and closed the door with a sigh, hoping to get better news soon.

It was then that a message arrived, with a number, code name, and a pretty clear message.

_From: BlackDog Sanderson_

_Message:_

_Hayate, we have a problem, the Hückebein have found Fate._


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

To get inside the barrier, Sanderson had to use almost all of his heavy artillery, until he discovered that is was electromagnetic and he found a way to create a crack of a few seconds to enter.

"Damn mages and their powers…" Sanderson murmured.

Once the first part of his plan was done with, now he had to find Fate, something not too difficult he concluded, as her powers seemed to be overflowing in the sky while she fought.

Wait a minute…

"Who is she fighting with?" he wondered.

Or rather, against whom, as he could see several lights in the sky, one was yellow, which he identified as Fate's, another one white and then there were four lights, one purple, one red, one black and one dark blue constantly colliding against the yellow and white ones.

"But what the hell is she doing there…" Sanderson asked himself.

Sighing, he took his weapon and walked toward the lights, he didn't know why he had to get involved in those things but curiosity got the better of him, that and the fact that he felt he was close to something important.

If not, then what was the need to put up a barrier?

He got close enough to see Fate fighting against a woman with long white hair and a muscular shirtless man, who attacked her non-stop, but although she seemed to be having some trouble, Sanderson was able to see how well she defended herself in a fight like that and he felt a small sense of pride for her.

_That's my Enforcer…_

"Maybe we should tip the balance a little to her favor" he said to himself.

Then he opened a small suitcase, he carried with himself, and in the computer that was inside, he took the coordinates of the enemies, pointing towards them what seemed to be a missile.

"Here we go…" he murmured.

He prepared the missile and smiled when it was activated, he heard the missile been directed by a satellite toward the position of Fate's enemies, he just needed to guide it a little to the right and…

"What's that?" shouted the man.

"DeVille! Get away!" shouted the woman.

Sanderson smiled when he heard the screams as he directed the missile and saw it impact with their enemies while Fate, somewhat surprise, was looking at her surroundings, since like him, she knew exactly what kind of missile had been used.

The Predator Drone.

"Fate" he shouted.

Fate lowered her gaze finding Sanderson, who waved at her from the ground and she immediately knew who was responsible for the missile that had hit the two Hückebein.

"What are you doing here?" she asked once in the ground.

"What you mean what I'm doing here? Isn't it obvious?" he asked angry.

Fate smiled, she didn't expect him to come alone to save her and she was glad to know that she was at least something important to him.

"Well… you see I'm alright, so…" she began.

"Yes, you'll see how overjoyed Hayate is going to be when she knows it" he murmured.

From his tone of voice, she could tell that he friend wasn't very happy that she had left to fight that war, but what did she expect? If she no longer had a home, she had no reason to stay there.

Surely Nanoha was happy with Yuuno, it would hurt that she had left without saying goodbye, yes, but she wouldn't be devastated if she had her dream come true and as for Vivio, well, she would have a hard time, but she was a strong girl and she could come out of it without problems.

"I suppose she's not happy" Fate said.

"No, in the least" he said.

"Fate! Stop talking and give me a hand!" Thoma shouted.

Fate looked up to see how the other two Hückebein attacked Thoma, throwing him to the ground and about to deliver the last hit.

"Shit… Sanderson, use a smoke grenade" Fate said.

"Wait a seconds, who's supposed to be in charge here?" he asked.

"Just do it!" she shouted.

"Alright…" he murmured.

Sanderson threw a smoke grenade towards Thoma, covering everything with a fog through which no one could see and from which Fate took the advantage to get Thoma, Lily and Sanderson out of there.

"Bardiche…" she whispered. "…Sonic Move"

Her device lit up while she ran at full speed, grabbing Thoma first, then Lily and finally Sanderson, then she moved through the mountains to take them back to the base.

"But they'll find us there" Thoma said as she ran.

"Not if we hide it, right boss?" she asked.

"Sure, it can be camouflaged with the mountains" Sanderson said.

"Really?" Lily asked.

"Yes, this base has been hidden here for years, it can stand a bit more" Fate said with a smile.

And she continued to run with the three people clinging to her while she kept one thing in mind and her heart calmed down about what she had discovered.

She had to know the truth, but above all, she had to know what role she played in the whole story.

* * *

"How is it possible that two brats, an Enforcer and a simple soldier defeated you!" Fortis shouted.

The four Hückebein looked at one of their leaders with their heads down, angry with themselves for losing their chance to capture the Enforcer and eliminate the two nuisances that kept ruining their plans.

But not everything was lost, at least, they knew she wasn't alone and they knew that to get her, they had to pass over their enemies.

"Fortis, we can still get her" said the woman with long white hair.

"No, Cypha, you can't, you must" Fortis said.

The white-haired boy looked at one of his leaders with interest while gripping his weapon, there were things he hadn't been told and he was getting tired of failing.

"Fortis, why so much interest in the blonde?" he asked.

"Because she is the key, you fool, without her, I can't make us invincible and immortal" Fortis said.

He stared at him as if what he was saying wasn't true and Arnage, who was at his side, got closer to him as she watched their leader with a scowl.

"What do you mean by that?" said DeVille.

"I mean, that she is the first artificial mage with no fail, the first one that can live on the Earth without problems" Fortis said. "…Thanks to her and to the experiment done by Precia Testarossa and Jail Scaglietti used to create her, more artificial mages had been able be created with no errors and that's why I need her"

"But…" Arnage said. "…I still don't understand why we need her, we're fine"

Fortis sighed, tired of having to explain everything again, he have had enough trouble getting Curren, their leader, to let him catch Testarossa and now he had to explain it to that group of idiots.

"We are infected by a virus, Arnage, do you really think it won't end up destroying us? The answer is yes, it will end up killing us if we don't do anything, besides, Testarossa is the only one with her kind of power, and we need her if we want to continue with our plan, that's why we need her, to save us and to take over this planet" he finally said.

"That was a nice explanation, Fortis" said a voice.

Fortis turned to see a man, tall, in a uniform and with a smile on his lips that spoke well of what he thought of them, but Fortis didn't gave in, after all, he was the ally they needed to keep the Bureau Administration out of their way.

"Mr. Yachi, I'm glad to see you" Fortis said.

"I can't say the same, Fortis, because I don't see the prize" he said.

Fortes felt the sweat coming down his forehead as Yachi watched each one of his knights as they looked at him not knowing who was talking.

"I know, sir, but the Enforcer is strong… but I swear we'll get her" Fortis said.

"You better…" Yachi said.

With a look of contempt, he left, letting Fortis breath as he stopped in front of his knights with a serious expression.

"That, is another reason why I want the blonde" he said.

"Who was it?" said the white-haired boy.

Fortes breathed, knowing they would go through the same shock he did when he learned who the man was.

"He is Tomura Yachi, one of the senior officials of the Bureau Administration and…" he murmured, breathing again. "…the real father of Alicia Testarossa, the girl who was used to clone Fate" he finally whispered.

No one said anything, not because they didn't have any questions, but because nobody really knew what to say.

* * *

"We're set" Sanderson said.

Fate smiled as Thoma and Lily looked around the military base that Sanderson had in the mountains. In reality, when looking at it, they felt confident of being able to hide for a while and smiled at the thought of being able to do so.

"Come with me" Fate said.

The two followed her to her room, where they sat on her bed and waited for her to return to her normal form before putting a serious face.

"Well, now that we're more relaxed…" Fate began.

"You want to know more about what we told you, right?" Lily said.

"Yes, actually, I want to know what place I have in that story" she said.

Thoma sighed, knowing the pain he could cause her, not every day you get to hear what he was about to say.

"Well, Fate, the truth is that yes, we are an improved version of you… but with fails" Thoma said.

Fate looked at him not understanding and then Lily showed her the small tattoo on her neck, same that Thoma had on his arm.

"What is that?" Fate asked.

"You see, Fate, we are artificial mages, created with the same technology and the same steps as you, but infected with a virus that is slowly killing us, that's why the Hückebein want you, because they think that by examining you, they can find a cure for them" Lily explained.

"But… how can I cure them? Or you?" Fate asked.

"We don't know, we just know you are the first artificial mage with no fails and, we think, you're the only solution we have to save us" Thoma said.

Fate stayed sitting there, not knowing what to say, she was the key to save the? She would be happy to do it, but…

"Why didn't they just ask for help, like you did?" she asked.

"We think there's something else, someone is helping them, and they want to hunt you for some particular reason" Thoma said.

Then the door opened and Sanderson entered in silence, standing in front of the three of them as he was breathing heavily.

"Fate, the truth about this mission, is what they just said" Sanderson said.

"What?" Fate asked.

"I, together with other senior officers of the Bureau Administration, think that someone from the higher ups is trying to not just hunt you, but to also destroy everything with the war" Sanderson said.

And Fate couldn't help but look at her hands, feeling the world falling on top of her with a force that threatened to drop her to the ground.

Was there a traitor among them?


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"How is it not possible?" Nanoha asked.

In front of her, a secretary of the Bureau Administration looked at her with compassion, it wasn't like she wanted to give bad news to someone like Nanoha Takamachi, but she couldn't disobey direct orders from Director Yachi.

"I'm sorry, Captain Takamachi" said the secretary.

Nanoha couldn't believe what they were denying to her, she requested that the Administration gave a day of mourning for Fate, damn it, no one deserved it more than her after everything she had done for them…

And they were denying it.

"Who made that decision?" Nanoha said.

"I can't… tell you, it's private information" answered the secretary.

Nanoha closed her eyes, she had to calm down before she lost her nerves and began to attack the woman in search of answers, after all it wasn't her fault.

"Okay… thanks" Nanoha finally said.

She began to turn around and leave when the woman got up and grabbed her hand, Nanoha looked up and met with the compassionate eyes of the woman.

"She was a great person, Captain, I'm sure that her loss has been really terrible for all of us who work here" whispered the woman.

Nanoha felt the tears burning her eyes and nodded as she gently loosened from the grip and smiled proudly.

"She was, believe me, she was" Nanoha whispered.

And she left, with her emotions killing her inside and her eyes staring at nowhere, not knowing where to go, she walked aimlessly until she reached the school where the two of them had studied together with Hayate.

Where her feelings for Fate began to merge.

"Raising Heart… Axel Fin" Nanoha whispered.

Her device lit up with its famous pink color and summoned small wings on Nanoha's feet to take her to the roof of the school, where she had so often been with Fate and Hayate.

She reached there and sat in her favorite spot, where many times she had eaten lunch with Fate and Hayate and where she told Fate about her feelings for Yuuno.

_Stupid…_

She had in her hands the opportunity to do things rights, to tell Fate her thoughts and together find a solution, but she had lost it all.

_Can you forgive me, Fate-chan?_

Because somehow, she couldn't.

* * *

Carim Gracia had received disturbing news in the past years, she had lost friends in battle, but somehow, the news about Fate, were placed in the most painful ones when she had heard them from the lips of a trembling Chrono.

"Miss Carim, you have a visit" said her secretary.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"Commander Yagami"

Carim quickly let her in, knowing the state in which she probably was, being one of Fate's best friends and feeling the need to comfort the girl.

Of course, what she saw wasn't what she expected.

"Carim, we have a problem" Hayate said.

"Hayate… before anything…" Carim started.

"Don't try to comfort me, at least, not yet" answered the commander.

Carim looked at her not understanding while Hayate walked past her and sat in one of the chairs, feeling the pressure was too much for her alone.

She was drowning and needed to let it out.

"What wrong, Hayate?" Carim asked.

"Fate is not dead" she said.

It took Carim a few seconds to register what she was saying, because it made no sense, why would Chrono lie to her? There was no reason.

"I don't… understand" Carim said.

"I lied to them, because that's what I had to do" Hayate said.

"Hayate, please calm down and tell me everything, slowly" Carim said.

Hayate breathed, feeling her eyes fill with tears and starting to have trouble breathing, she had to focus, everything now what too important.

"Carim, Fate left to fight with Sanderson" Hayate said.

"What?"

"She left to war, Carim, and although I tried to stop her, I couldn't, she had the need to leave and she did. So to prevent anyone from contacting her and destroying the mission, Sanderson and I agreed to lie about Fate's death, but that's not the worst…" Hayate whispered.

Carim trembled, she was one of the few important people who what commanded Sanderson's mission and she had given him orders to discover what was happening and who was the traitor among them…

But she never imagined Fate would also be in team, not when that meant leaving her family behind.

"What's the worst…?" Carim whispered.

"The Hückebein… have found Fate" Hayate whispered.

Carim felt all the color drain from her face, they knew that certain artificial mages were acting differently from normal, and had the suspicion that, by the way they worked and how they were always ahead of them, there was one person among them who was had some type of connection with the Bureau.

She knew the Hückebein was the name given to the mages out of control and now they had to discover who was leading them, all while trying to contact Sanderson and Fate.

And Carim could only press her fingers against her temples, knowing that everything had gotten complicated, to levels she wasn't sure she could handle.

* * *

Nanoha had returned to work after spending some time in the roof of her old school remembering every moment with Fate, she missed her so much, but she had to move on with her life, she knew she would have wanted it that way and for the love that she had for her, she would do just that.

"Nanoha-san!" Subaru shouted.

She turned to face her former students, Subaru Nakajima and Teanna Lanster, approaching her with a mixture between concern and happiness showing on their faces upon seeing her.

"Subaru, Teanna, I'm glad to see you" Nanoha said.

"We're also, Nanoha-san, after all we thought you were going to take a few days off" Subaru said.

Teanna nudged Subaru, who complained about it but quickly understood why, her instructor probably didn't need to be reminded of the loss she had experienced.

"Don't worry, it's painful, but I have to keep going" Nanoha said with a smile.

And although her students knew that smile wasn't real, they decided to go along with their teacher and calmly talked for a little longer until they saw Caro arrive, with tears in her eyes.

"Caro, what's wrong?" asked Subaru.

"It's Erio… I don't know what's happening to him…" the girl said sobbing.

The three women looked at each other with concern before the young girl started to cry in Teanna's arms.

"Caro, calm down…" Teanna told her.

"I… I can't, I don't know what's wrong with him…" Caro said.

Nanoha approached her and stood in front of her as she slowly wiped her eyes and looked into them conveying all the tranquility she could.

"Caro, relax and tell us what's going on" Nanoha said.

Caro stopped crying a little and looked at her instructor recalling the moment in which Fate had done the same for her, but now, instead of having the blonde, she had Nanoha.

"He… started to feel sick so I took him to see Dr. Shamal… but them her fell asleep and… and he doesn't wake up" Caro said.

Teanna, Subaru and Nanoha looked at each other, and with a still trembling Caro, they went to see Shamal searching for an answer.

Was Erio injured? Or was it something else? After all, he was also an artificial mage and artificial mages don't get sick, right?

* * *

Shamal looked at the young man lying on a stretcher while she performed tests and looked at the results.

She performed a CAT to eliminate any traces of brain problems, and in part, she was glad because it wasn't anything like that.

But another past of her was scared by what she had discovered, a kind of shadow had appeared in the boy's chest.

"I can't be…" the doctor murmured.

It was a tattoo, one that Shamal had seen many years ago, in another artificial mage.

"Shamal?" Nanoha asked,

Shamal looked at her door as Nanoha, together with Subaru, Teanna and Caro, watched her with concern as Erio still hadn't move out of bed.

"Erio!" Caro cried.

She ran to his side as Shamal turned her chair to face them, she had to speak with Hayate about what was happening but also, she knew they wouldn't go away without an answer and she thought she had it…

Although it wasn't the one she wanted.

"What's wrong with him?" Subaru asked.

"He has a virus" Shamal said.

Nanoha looked at her, she knew from Fate that artificial mages couldn't get sick by a normal virus, at least not Fate, who had never gone through anything like that.

"But… is that possible?" Nanoha asked.

"Yes, since this is not any normal virus" Shamal answered.

The three women looked at Shamal confused as she approached Erio and showed them the tattoo that had appeared in his chest.

A very strange drawing.

"What is that?" Teanna asked.

Shamal breathed, preparing for what she was about to say and cursing the evidence she had showed them.

"It's the virus 'eclipse', a special type of virus that only affects artificial mages and makes them lose their mind until they can no longer distinguish right from wrong, unfortunately, there's still no cure" whispered the doctor.

And suddenly, everything became silent.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Fate tried to assimilate what Sanderson had told her about the mission, the true purpose of why they were there and the fact that they were dangerously close to a war that seemed to have no stop.

Everything because of a traitor, one damn traitor.

"So we have to find who it is" Fate said.

"Yes, that and win the war, of course, it would be a great advantage to find who it is first" Sanderson said.

"I understand" said Fate.

Thoma and Lily looked at each other, they knew the Hückebein had a very good ally, but they never imagines it would be one of them who would hand them over, and it made them wonder what kind of person would do such a thing.

And still, they also couldn't understand how their problem had anything to do with what the Hückebein could win with that war.

They couldn't be thinking of taking over the world with the power the virus would give them, right?

"They can't be that stupid" Thoma said.

"Everything is possible with them, Thoma" whispered Lily.

And he knew she was right, that's why they needed Fate also, because she could end all that madness if they were to find a cure.

Meanwhile, Fate looked at her hands as if they were those of a complete stranger, wondering, who was she in reality? She looked at all the reason why she was different from the others when all she wanted was to be a normal woman.

Was that too much to ask for?

"Take it easy, Fate" Sanderson said.

"I'm trying my best" she whispered.

Because of all the things she didn't understand about her creation, this was probably the only one she didn't even want to understand. She now knew she had the power to cure all those infected by the virus, like Thoma and Lily, like the Hückebein, but…

What would she have to give in exchange? Because if she had learned something in her life, it was, that things were never given or solved for nothing and often, the price was too high.

"Fate, is everything all right?" Lily asked.

She lifted her gaze which collided with the other girl's and for the first time she felt doubt between doing the right thing, helping them no matter what, and the selfishness of not wanting to give her life for something she didn't know it would go well.

Because although she didn't want anything bad to happen to them, she couldn't help wanting to see her family, Nanoha and Vivio, and her friends once again, and she didn't want to leave that world which had given her so much happiness for so long.

And before knowing it, she came across questions that hit her mind like nothing had done before…

_What will you do, Testarossa? Will you give everything for the greater good? Or will you leave them to suffer an uncertain fate at the mercy of a virus?_

* * *

Sanderson had left Fate's room with her and the other two individuals there while he himself cleared his ideas, because everything had suddenly taken new levels of risk, they were no longer just fighting against a man deranged of power.

They were also against high-level mages for what he had seen.

"That's why I've always hated magic" he whispered to himself.

Then he hear a signal of a video call coming from Carim Gracia's office and with a sigh, he activated the transmission only to see a, somewhat confused Carim and a stressed Hayate.

And he knew something was wrong.

"Commander Yagami, Miss Gracia" he greeted his superiors.

"Sanderson, we have problems here" Carim said.

_Will there ever be news that are not problems…_

Sanderson noticed that Hayate seemed about to burst into tears while Carim tried to explain what was happening and at the same time calm her.

"What's wrong?" asked Sanderson.

"We have a case of a virus called 'eclipse' that, for now, has only affected Erio Mondial, and that according to our doctor Shamal, only affects artificial mages" Carim said.

He was lucky to be leaning against a wall, because otherwise he would have ended on the floor. If a artificial mage from Mid-Childa had been affected by the virus, then…

Could it be the same virus he had in hand? And if so, why was Fate not being affected?

"I think I've heard that before" he said.

"What do you mean?" asked Carim.

"I mean, I have two people here with a virus that, according to what they think, the only possible cure is Fate" he calmly said.

Sanderson could feel how things were getting out of hand as he listened that one of them, not in that mission, was getting involved.

"How's that?" asked Hayate.

"Yes, they talk of something about the first artificial mage without fails, who's Fate and that she could possibly hold the cure they need" Sanderson said.

Hayate looked at Carim and the blonde looked back knowing it was time to have a talk with their Enforcer and the two people Sanderson talked about.

"Sanderson, bring Fate and those two people here" Carim said.

And although he really wanted to do it, he knew those women were about to compromise the mission under his command to a critical level.

* * *

Fate had entered the room where Sanderson had called her, feeling calm, a calmness that was soon gone when she saw a Carim happy to see her and a Hayate that of been able to, she would have probably beaten her.

"Hi Fate" Carim greeted.

"Idiot! When I get my hands on you, I'm going to kill you" Hayate screamed at her.

Fate exchanged a quick glace with Sanderson, who just shrugged while she didn't understand the stress of her friends.

"Hayate… calm down…" Carim told her.

"How do you want me to calm down! I lied for her!" Hayate screamed.

"Lie?" Fate asked.

She didn't understand anything but knew that Sanderson had something to do with it, when she felt his tension to Hayate's words and her curiosity increased substantially.

"What does she mean?" she asked Sanderson.

"Oh, nothing" he quickly answered.

Somehow, he didn't want her to know and she knew the only way to find out was to ask Hayate herself.

"Hayate… what are you talking about?" Fate asked.

"This is a secret mission! No one could interfere! So I had to say you were dead, because otherwise Nanoha would have tried to contact you!" she screamed.

Fate felt her mouth drop with what she just heard, they had lied? The others thought she was dead? Nanoha thought she was dead? And Vivio, what could she be thinking? Without meaning to, a part of her was thinking of the way they could have reacted, if Nanoha had cried for her…

_What are you thinking, Testarossa, she is your best friend above all, of course she cried._

"She… misses you, you know? We all do" Hayate said.

Fate looked at her and watched how she trembled and hold back her tears, she knew she might have hurt them, but Nanoha was with Yuuno and she would be fine, she was sure of that.

"She'll be fine, now she has what…" Fate began to whisper.

"Oh, shut up will you! It's true she has been doing stupid things over the years, but now, since she knew you were gone, she had changed and besides, you can't throw the first stone either"

That had hurt her, so much, that her face changed to a state of anger, feeling it grow inside.

"What do you mean by that?" Fate screamed.

"What do I mean?" asked Hayate, rising from her chair while Carim and Sanderson tried to calm them. "You ran away like a coward without confessing her your feelings, that's what I mean!" she screamed back.

"She doesn't feel the same way!"

"And what do you know about Nanoha's feelings! She has cried, screamed for you this whole time while you're here trying to do something crazy!"

"She doesn't need me!... And I can't be more than just her best friend…" Fate whispered.

Fate stayed silent, just like Hayate, who was breathing heavily as she closed her fists tightly to not continue screaming, she needed to calm down, and discuss that matter in private, she just needed to breath.

_Breathe Yagami, you got what you wanted._

Because although the very Fate didn't realize it, she knew those words had affected her more than what she could have wanted and with that, Hayate was pleased for the time being.

"Now that you have cleared up your doubts a little, can we move on to what really matters?" asked Sanderson.

Fate looked at him, sending a small apologetic look as he answered with a look of we'll talk later.

"Yes, we have to think about the mission" Carim said.

"And about us" Thoma said.

"What brings me to Erio Mondial" Hayate suddenly said.

Hearing the name of her protégé and friend Erio, made Fate's heart skip a beat, because he like her, was a artificial mage.

And she hoped his name and this case were only a coincidence.

_Please, not him…_

"What about him?" she asked.

Sanderson moved beside her and put a hand on her shoulder while Thoma looked suspiciously at Hayate, and Carim and Lily put their hands to their mouths…

They already knew what was happening, they could sense it in the looks, gestures and feelings.

"Erio is infected with the virus 'eclipse', Fate, the same with which the Hückebein were infected…" whispered Sanderson.

"And us…" Lily said.

Fate felt her legs failed her and fell to the ground, luckily, Sanderson grabbed her and sat her on a nearby chair while the truth of the importance of that news made echo in her.

_Erio had the virus…_

And suddenly, all her problems disappeared as the determination became strong in her heart, she had… no, she would find a solution to that damn virus no matter what and she would save Erio…

She owed him for all that he had suffered and she would do everything in her power to find a solution. She looked at Thoma and Lily, and they knew right away what she had in mind.

"You'll help us…" Thoma said.

"We won't disappoint you, Fate" Lily said.

That's what she hoped, because she would let go of all her demons and fears so they could find a solution to save them.

"Then… we'll notify Shamal and…" began Hayate.

"None of that" Sanderson said.

Fate and Hayate looked at him as he stood firm in his place with his eyes on fire and a indestructible determination.

"What do you mean?" Hayate asked.

"The information will not leave this place and I myself will take care of sending you the reports of any cure that we might find in Fate, but nothing else, no one, not even Shamal, may know of this mission" decided Sanderson.

"But…" Hayate began to answer.

"He's right…" Carim said.

And Hayate sighed, not only had she found another bump to bringing Fate home, but now she couldn't even tell their doctor they were working on a solution.

_Great, Yagami…_

"Do whatever you want…" she murmured in defeat.

Because she knew she was alone on that fight and couldn't win, at least not officially.

_It's time to follow your head and not your heart, Yagami._


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Tomura Yachi was smoking a cigarette like every day, in his office facing the window, looking at the clear blue sky.

_Alicia…_

He had loved his little girl much more than words could say, he had always tried to make sure the girl was happy and had everything she asked for, but all she really wanted was the only thing that nor him or Precia could give her…

Time.

_I'm really sorry, Alicia…_

She never complained, never cried and never openly asked from them the attention that they, he as the director of the Bureau Administration and Precia as a scientist, should have given her and never did…

And so it came to that tragic end.

He still remembered the day Precia told him Alicia had died in an explosion, that his little girl would never open her eyes again to look at him with her face full of love.

_**Flashback**_

"_How is it possible! How could you let it happen!" he yelled with rage and grief._

_In front of him, Precia cried inconsolably as the doctors took Alicia's body along with her cat and covered them with blankets so they couldn't see their little daughter lying on the floor like a rag doll._

"_I'm sorry…" Precia whispered. "…I'm sorry…"_

"_Damn it!" he shouted._

_The pain was too much for him, his sun had disappeared and left only the ashes of a woman who had been more aware of her work than of spending five minutes with her daughter._

"_She was everything for me…" she whispered._

"_You were never with her when she needed it" he blamed her._

_And then Precia rose, her eyes filled with rage and grief, and moved to stand right in front of him and look into his eyes._

"_Don't you even dare…" she murmured. "… That's exactly why I got divorced from you, because even in a time like this, you prefer to attack me than support me, your daughter is dead, do you hear me? Dead and the least you could do is mourn her loss, not criticize me and much less, when referring to abandoning her, you did the same, if not worse than me._

_He stood there, not wanting to acknowledge that what she said was true, he was as guilty as her and she couldn't imagine how much he regretted it._

"_You're right…" he finally whispered._

_And without looking back, he left at the same time as the rain started to fall over him not giving him the peace he cried for._

_Nothing would ever give him that peace again…_

"_I'm sorry, Alicia…" he sobbed to the sky. "…I'm sorry…"_

_**End Flashback**_

At first, he tried to use the aid and technology of the TSAB to, somehow, revive his daughter, but they had refused to even try, saying they had much more serious problems to deal with.

The big fish always with big projects.

The rage had filled him, but he decided to let it go for fear to any action they could take against him and so he devoted himself to suffer in silence for Alicia.

Over the years, he learned about Precia's creation and had investigated her out of curiosity, he never imagined what he would find.

It was Alicia… but really, it wasn't her, that thing was only a machine that couldn't replace his dead daughter.

And he hated her, he hated Precia for trying to create something similar to her and hated that thing for existing, then he swore, swore he would not rest until he had gotten rid of that thing, that looked like his daughter, because no one would be her Alicia.

She could never replace her and he would make sure to make it very clear.

* * *

Curren Hückebein had never been the kind to get into a battle without a good reason, but when Yachi had told her about his desire to overthrow the Bureau Administration and gain control of everything, she couldn't refuse.

She liked good fights, too much.

But that was not only for the big fight, the kind that drove her so crazy, she was also doing it to find a cure for the virus, because, although few knew it, she was one of the most affected by it.

Since the truth was that Curren was not only the leader of the Hückebein, but she also was one of the first people, along with Fortis and a few others, who had gotten infected and therefore, over time, she couldn't ignore the damage it was causing on her.

"Curren…" Fortis said upon entering.

She looked at him, knowing he was probably one of the few people who knew enough to know that she wasn't in the best conditions.

"I'm fine…" she whispered.

"You don't look like it" he said.

She smiled at the good Fortis, always so sincere even if he would ruin the little humor you had left in the day.

"Don't worry, Fortis, you'll soon get gray hair at that rate" she yawned. "… I'm going to bed, try not to make too much noise"

She rose from her chair, with Fortis's eyes following her until she was out of sight, then she stopped and looked at her hands, trembling due to the effort.

_Seems like I'll be the one to soon get gray hair, Fortis…_

* * *

Cypha looked for the fourth time at what they had missed during the fight with the Enforcer, she knew the missile had only been used to mislead her and DeVille but what had caught her by surprise was the power the blonde had shown during the battle.

No one had been that strong before.

"What are you doing, Cypha?" asked Veryon.

"I investigate the person we have to capture" she said.

"Oh, that feisty blonde, I have to confess she looks strong"

"Yeah… there must be something we're missing"

But as much as she looked at it, she couldn't see anything besides fog, Fate's speed and the damn missile.

"It's her Linker Core" said DeVille behind her.

Cypha turned to look at his simple serious expression standing in front of them while he kept on looking at the image of Fate on the screen.

"What do you mean?" said Veryon.

DeVille murmured something before moving closer and pointing directly to Fate's heart, where he had been able to feel the immensity of her power.

"Here is the key" he said. "… her Linker Core is much more powerful than those of other artificial mages whom we've fought, that's why we couldn't capture her, because she was created with a special Linker Core" he finished.

Veryon scratched his head, he didn't understand anything he was saying except for the Linker Core but he could see that what DeVille was said was true. Then, there were more things at stake than those expected.

"Then…. She's powerful?" he asked.

"Much more thank you can imagine…" DeVille answered.

And although he knew this could be his ruin, he couldn't help being exited to finally find a decent opponent for him.

It was time to test all the strength that the virus gave them.

* * *

Erio Mondial opened his eyes with a feeling of dizziness and nausea, he probably had some kind of disease but still given that he was an artificial mage he had thought he couldn't get sick.

_Well, Erio, you were wrong._

Slowly he rose from the bed until he was seated, then he was shocked to look in the mirror and see what was in his chest.

"But, what is this?" he asked.

Then, he saw the curtain moved to let pass to Shamal who smiled and approached him slowly.

"Erio… finally" said the doctor.

"Shamal… what am I doing here?"

Shamal smiled moving her look to the bed next to her, when the boy followed her gaze, he found Caro lying there sound asleep.

"She brought you here and has been really worried for you" Shamal said.

"I see…" Erio said smiling.

Then he remembered his tattoo and looked at Shamal pointing his chest as he watched the eyes of the doctor darken and take a serious tone.

" What is this tattoo?" he asked.

"It's not a tattoo, Erio, it's a trademark of the virus eclipse" she said.

"Virus? I thought artificial mages were immune to viruses?"

"No to this one, in fact, this is a type of virus found only in the blood, of artificial mages"

But Erio still didn't understand, how had he ended with a virus in his blood if he hadn't…? One moment…

"Shamal…" Erio whispered.

"Yes?"

"I think I know how I could have gotten infected" he said.

Shamal watch him carefully before sitting down beside him and waiting for him to be ready to talk.

"I… think it was when I tried to help that woman. I had just returned from a mission with a dragon, and I had an injury in my hand, a cut, when I found a woman and I went to help her" he explained.

"What woman? Caro didn't say anything about that" Shamal said.

Erio nodded, at that moment, Caro hadn't been with him and the woman could hardly walk if it wouldn't have been for his help.

"Caro wasn't there, and the woman looked very ill, she didn't want my help but I didn't listen and suddenly…" he whispered.

"Suddenly, what? Erio"

"She coughed some blood…" said the boy.

Then Shamal understood as how it had passed from the woman to Erio, by blood, as the books said.

"Do you know where this woman is?" Shamal quickly asked.

"She disappeared" he said.

And then, that was when Shamal thought of moving to her last resort to try saving the world form that virus.

Resorting to Yuuno Scary and his infinite library, tough she was running out of time, she decided it was worth a try, because…

If Erio and another woman were infected, how many more artificial mages could fall for it?


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Hello everyone, ok so I just wanted to say one thing about this chapter, as you all already know, I haven't read the complete story and I'm reading each chapter as I translate it, and I have to say that the end of this chapter realy surprised me, it makes me wonder were the author got the idea from, it kinna reminds me of one of my favorite movies, but i wont name it cause then i'll kinna be giving away the end of the chapter, so if you want to find out what it is then go head and start reading maybe you'll figure out what movie (or movies) I'm talking about, also please review :)

* * *

**Chapter 8**

To help Fate, Thoma had decided that the first thing they needed to do was to check her ability in combat. He had seen a little of it during their fight with the Hückebein, but suspected that it was nothing compared to what she actually was.

"I still don't understand the point in you fighting with her" Lily said.

"Just let me see how far she can get, perhaps I'll find something in her strength" he said

"I you say so…"

Fate, meanwhile, moved in front of him, with Sanderson behind her, as she tried to shake off the nerves and bad memories that those tests were bringing back.

_An experiment, that's what I am once again…_

She closed her eyes as she tried to calm her heart beat and pressed Bardiche against her hand, summoning his power to get through this without bursting into tears.

"Ready, Fate?" asked Thoma.

"Yeah… let's go…" she murmured.

Thoma smiled and closed his eyes, summoning his powers and creating a shower of light around his body that lit the whole place.

"Let's see if you're really that good, Fate" he said.

Fate looked at him with a raised eyebrow, was he really challenging her? She gave him a small smile before raising Bardiche and looking at it.

"Bardiche! Set Up!"

Then Bardiche began to shine while Fate's body changed into her barrier jacket, but what really surprised Thoma, was what happened a few seconds later.

"Amazing…" said the boy surprised.

The light that radiated from Fate's body was warm, powerful and protective, as if an angel had suddenly fallen to protect them from their imminent death.

"Beautiful…" Lily whispered.

Its color, a bright gold, made her even more beautiful that what she already was while her burgundy eyes gave her a look of assurance and confidence that made Lily feel at home again.

Sanderson simply looked at her, for a normal human being like him, that was something unusual and he couldn't help feeling a twinge of pride for the girl who stood in the air with a power that even he could feel, but still, with an innocence unknown to him.

Definitely, Fate was someone special.

"Well… shall we begin?" Fate said.

Thoma blinked a few times before smiling and preparing himself, because Lily not been wrong to save her.

She would save them, he was now sure of it.

* * *

Hayate almost felt as if she was entering Chrono's office by force, she knew Carim had her heavily guarded so she wouldn't interfere with the mission, but she had to speak with him no matter what.

Only he would help her get to Fate.

Chrono was in front of her, so into his work that he didn't even notice when she sat in front of him, as he kept his head down reading papers.

Hayate was stretching her hand to grab his attention when he raised his head and met directly with Hayate's hand in front of him. She was surprised to see him with a lost look and traces of tears in his face.

"Chrono? Is everything all right?" she asked.

"Yeah…" he said wiping his tears. "…just thinking about my sister, sometimes it happens…."

Hayate smiled, knowing that although it seemed like Chrono had continued with his life after the death of his sister, in reality he was having a hard time assimilating the truth of what had happened.

"I need to talk to you…" Hayate murmured.

"Did you know she carried my kids even before I did?" he suddenly said.

Hayate looked at him not really knowing how to answer, she knew Chrono really loved Fate, and also knew he had been the strong one in the family to the news about Fate and now he also needed to let it out.

"She did?" she said.

"Yes… I was so afraid of doing it wrong, that she grabbed them in her arms and showed me how to do it as she tapped me in the head and said, _'Don't worry, you'll be a great father'_" he murmured.

Hayate could feel the tears in his voice and she also started to feel the famous burn in her eyes that went with her every day, but she had to swallow her tears, she had to tell him the truth.

"Chrono, that's what I need to talk to you about, I…" Hayate said.

"I'm sorry sometimes I get too nostalgic" he cut her.

"Listen, Chrono, Fate is not…"

"I know, I know she's not here anymore, and you don't know how much I miss her"

Hayate sighed, tired of him interrupting her. She took a breath to say what she had to say, even if she hated it, she couldn't keep that secret any more.

"Fate is alive, Chrono" Hayate finally said.

"Always…" he murmured, until he realized what she was saying. "…What?"

"Fate…" she sighed. "…she didn't die, I lied to protect a mission"

Chrono looked at her for several seconds that for her seemed like hours, before she saw as Chrono Harlaown fainted in his own office.

_Your element of surprise is infallible, Hayate._

* * *

"**Nanoha please, could you take the reports to Yachi for me, I'm… busy right now"**

That's what Chrono had said on the phone and she, knowing how much he had focused on his work since Fate was gone, couldn't refuse, so now there she was, standing in front of the office of one of the most important people in the TSAB to hand in Chrono's recognition reports.

"Captain Takamachi, Mr. Yachi is not here right now, but you can go in and leave the reports in his desk, please do not touch anything else, he hates when someone touches his things without permission" said the secretary.

"Yes, don't worry" Nanoha replied.

She entered his office, arranged and built as that of a high-powered executive, with leather chairs and with decorations that would cost more than what she earned in a year.

"Amazing…" she murmured.

She looked from side to side and walked to the desk, where she left Chrono's reports, then, something caught her attention, a picture, it was hard to see who was in it, until she saw a pair of burgundy eyes filled with innocence.

"Fate-chan…" Nanoha whispered.

She looked at the door to make sure no one was coming and then opened the file where she could clearly see the picture of Fate-chan as a child, just that it wasn't Fate-chan, it was…

"Alicia Testarossa…" she read.

She knew that name, that girl was the real daughter of Precia Testarossa, Fate-chan's sister, the person from which they had created the most important person in her life, but…

Why would Yachi have a report about Alicia Testarossa?

In a way, it shouldn't be a surprise that he had it, after all, every senior member of the TSAB should have a report about Project F, therefore, Alicia Testarossa's, but for some reason, she felt that something didn't quite add up in all that.

There was something strange about it, too strange.

"I have to investigate" she told to herself.

"Captain Takamachi, are you okay?" asked the secretary.

Nanoha got frightened before running to open the door and smile to the secretary who looked at her with concern and, possibly, distrust.

"Yes, I was just really impressed with Mr. Yachi's office" Nanoha said.

"It's very sophisticated and elegant" said the secretary.

"Yes…" Nanoha murmured.

She left the place with a feeling of having uncovered the Pandora box, but for some reason, she knew she had to get to the bottom of it.

_Lead me with your light, Fate-chan._

* * *

Fate had been two hours fighting with Thoma to test her power, but she looked as if they had barely started, which surprised Thoma, but not her.

She wasn't human, so her resistance was higher, what she didn't imagine was that she could withstand much more than Thoma in a battle.

"I can't believe it" said Thoma.

"How come you're so tired?" Fate asked.

Thoma shook his head, he also couldn't understand why she wasn't tired, but still he kept attacking while she just dodged and returned every attack with equal or greater force.

And then, she noticed something strange.

"Thoma…" she whispered.

Thoma stopped and looked at her, from the ground Lily and Sanderson did the same, while she felt her power increase until she almost was unable to hold it in her chest.

"Fate!" yelled Thoma.

"Oh my God!" said Sanderson.

Suddenly a golden light enveloped Fate in such a way that it created a barrier while she saw her own device broke into pieces, small pieces of Bardiche that, in few seconds, pointed at her and plunged into her body until they were in side of her and she just felt….

Pain, a lot of pain.

_You are the key, choose between saving the future… or destroying it._

Fate managed to open her eyes as she noticed the warmth of her body increase and her power grow, she was transforming…

No, she was merging with Bardiche.

_You and I are now one, sir…_

And then everything went black to her…

Lily watched as Fate fell from the sky while Thoma went after her and Sanderson ran to catch her before she hit the ground.

But she could already see what was happening, her linker core, her power, the fact that only she could save all the infected with the virus…

It all made sense to her now, because she had discovered what was Fate's real role in that whole affair.

"What happened to her?" Sanderson asked.

Lily looked at Thoma, who also knew what had happened, tears filled her eyes and she hated herself for what they was about to say, but it was the truth…

The painful truth…

"We now know why Fate is the only one who can save us…" Lily said.

"You do?" asked Sanderson.

Thoma placed a hand on his shoulder as he watched Fate's body in his arms, so calm, sleeping…

What a cruel twist of fate.

"She is the only artificial mage who can save us and can't get infected by the virus because…" murmured Thoma. "…she is the virus"


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Sanderson couldn't believe what his ears were hearing at that moment, his mind wasn't able to work out the idea that Thoma and Lily had created, and he didn't even want to imagine the implications that this might bring to their mission.

Fate was not only the cure, but also the curse.

"How the hell is that possible?" Sanderson asked.

Thoma and Lily looked at him, one on each side of Fate while the blonde remained still in one of the beds at the base, without even realizing she was the focus of a conversation that would mark the future of those who stood there.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I have a theory…" Thoma said. "… You see, the virus comes from the mixture of various genetic codes that, at first, should affect humans and artificial mages, but in this case, it only affects us…"

"Why's that?" asked Sanderson.

"Because we have so much power…" Lily whispered. "… When Precia Testarossa and Jail Scaglietti created Project F, they realized how dangerous it would be to create a being with that much magic power coming from its linker core, so when the rest of us were being created, they implanted the virus in our linker cores, and the way to get infected, since artificial mages from new generations wouldn't have it, is through the blood…

"And Project F is supposed to be Fate, right?" Sanderson asked. "… then, what you're saying is that from the genetic codes they put on Fate, they created a virus for the others…" he whispered.

"Yes, more or less, although there are still doubts, and to confirm it, we need the files of Project F…" Thoma said.

"Well then, go get them and we'll be out of doubts" Sanderson said.

Thoma seemed uncomfortable with the idea and Sanderson knew something was wrong when Lily shook her head, but they still needed to confirm their theory.

_He_ needed to.

"We can't, we don't have the files, this is just pure theory drawn from seeing Fate's power and what happened just now, plus what we know about Project F and our own creation" said Lily.

"Where are the files?" asked Sanderson.

But somehow, he felt he already knew the answer and he didn't like the idea a bit.

"The Hückebein have them" Thoma answered.

_Damn it…_

"Great…" Sanderson murmured.

He noticed that Lily and Thoma kept on looking at Fate, as if they themselves couldn't believe what they had just said, he could even say they didn't like the idea, any more than him, of what they would have to do if they proved their theory to be right.

"What can we do?" asked Sanderson.

Lily then stood up, tears filling her eyes as she looked at Sanderson and then at Fate, and Sanderson let the fear take over him.

This was going to get worse, much more…

"You and Thoma go get the files while I stay with Fate" said Lily.

Well, he could understand her tears, they were about to go on a suicide mission and if they didn't return, Lily would not only lose her partner, but she would also stay in that place alone and without a cure.

It was an impossible mission, they all knew it, but… he was an expert in that, right?

* * *

Chrono still had the feeling of been on a state between a dream and a nightmare, his sister was alive, but in a mission much more complicated that he could ever imagine.

"Why was I not informed of anything?" he asked

Carim looked at him with embarrassment and Hayate was relieved that someone else was about to change things.

She would bring Fate home and once there, she was planning to lock her up with Nanoha until the two solved their little problem.

"Chrono, it was a secret mission and after what your sister did, we thought you'd get too involved…" Carim began.

"To hell with that, she's my sister and I'm also important here, so I repeat, why was I not informed of this?"

"You would have…" Carim tried to explain.

"Done something stupid, like I just did" Hayate explained. "… Which also explains why I lied, because I couldn't say anything, but now I need your help to get reinforcements to them because their mission is turning very dangerous and only my team can help them"

Chrono looked at her and she could tell he was also mad at her but he understood that now the mission was a priority and that she was right, so he ended up agreeing with her.

"She's right, Carim, if the mission is in danger, they need reinforcements" he said.

"But they can't get involved, if they do, everyone, including the traitor, will know what we're doing"

Then Chrono smiled, he was planning something when he took out four sheets with permissions and showed them to Carim.

"They wouldn't have to, if I sign a few permissions alleging stress due to my sister's death, right?" he said.

"That's it!" Hayate yelled.

"You're impossible…" Carim whispered.

"Well, having said that, Hayate, you, Nanoha, Vita and Signum need to get ready, you'll be leaving in five hours" Chrono said.

Hayate looked at him, surprised that he could get the permissions in such a short time, and he simply replied by saying.

"It's time for me to abuse a little bit of my power"

To which Hayate smiled and Carim looked at him as if he was crazy while he took his phone out and ready to use his power.

_Hold on, Fate…. We're coming…_

Now the only problem left was telling the truth to the three persons who were to go with her, including Nanoha.

_I'm going to die…_

* * *

Erio was still with Shamal doing a check up, he seemed to be fine, his pulse was normal and he could even train, but the virus was still there, waiting to make an appearance…

Waiting to drive him crazy.

"I feel fine" Erio said.

"I know and I'm glad, but Erio, this is very serious, if you're not careful you could get seriously hurt" Shamal said.

The boy didn't understand the concern, he was fine and although it was something a little dangerous, he hadn't noticed any changes, quite the contrary, he felt strong, alive…

Complete.

"Then…when can I return to action?" he asked.

"You'll have no action until I have a cure"

Erio snorted, obviously bored and tired of doing nothing, and after some more analysis, he left once again assuring Shamal he wouldn't get in trouble and he would be a good boy.

Then, while the doctor rested her head for a second, the image of Yuuno appeared in front of her surprising her, more by what he had in his hands than by his sudden appearance.

"Yuuno… what is that?" she asked.

"It's a copy of a report made by an officer about Project F" he said.

Project F? What did that had to do with the virus?

"And what about it?" Shamal asked.

Yuuno sighed before showing her what the report said, who were the scientists involved in it, everything they did and…

How the virus was created and from whom…

"Fate…" whispered Shamal.

"It was created from her and she is the cure, I'm sure of it" Yuuno said.

Then Shamal stayed there, frozen, because Fate was no longer with them and that nullified any chance of curing Erio or other infected.

All the infected artificial mages were domed.

* * *

Nanoha didn't understand why Chrono had given then an indefinite permission to leave and Hayate was telling them about a secret mission.

"We're going to a military camp, where Sanderson, who is the person in charge, will tell us what to do" Hayate said.

"And why do _we _have to go?" asked Vita.

"Because it's important and I can't trust it to anyone else"

But Nanoha still didn't understand. Hayate seemed nervous and she never got nervous for a mission, besides, she was having a strong feeling that something was waiting for her there.

"If you say so, we'll go" Signum said.

"Thanks, you won't regret it" Hayate said.

And that was what made Nanoha suspect, she was taking them to that mission as if they were to visit, not as if they were to solve a problem.

"Hayate, come here a moment" Nanoha said.

She approached her with a smile that Nanoha knew well, it was a façade, she could tell Hayate was nervous and even more when she got close to her.

"Yes, Nanoha?" Hayate asked.

"Where are you taking us…?" Nanoha whispered.

She felt Hayate tense at the same time she began to see a rocky road and the entrance of the camp where they had to go.

"Just wait a little longer and you'll see…" Hayate whispered.

Nanoha looked at her puzzled but said nothing more as they entered the camp and saw the soldiers sitting there or in patrol.

"Commander Yagami, Miss Gracia has sent us your data and the pictures of you and your companions to indentify you, welcome" said an officer at the entrance.

"Thank you, can you tell us where Sanderson is" Hayate said.

The officer looked at his companions, who raised their hands in surrender. He knew the temper of Commander Yagami and didn't want to be her next victim.

"He left on a mission to recover some files, together with Thoma Avenir, Commander, but if you want, you can wait for him on his tent" said the officer.

"Mission?" asked Hayate.

"In the tent, Miss Lily Avenir can tell you the details"

Hayate nodded and followed him wondering where Fate could be. At least the officer hadn't ruined the surprise and had kept Fate's name a secret…

_Sanderson's orders, surely…_

"Miss Avenir, here's the visits I told you about" said the officer.

"Come in" said Lily.

Then, Hayate opened the tent to find a girl with white long hair sitting on chair, but her surprise was to see Fate, in a bed and completely still.

And the next thing she hear was something fall, a cry of surprise and Nanoha's voice, startled and trembling, whispering a name.

"Fate-chan…"


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

It was pretty simple what they had to do, get in and retrieve the Project F's files, there was only one problem, Thoma needed to use his powers in order to find them. The good thing about it was that they would know the location of the files together with their own, but the bad thing…

The bad thing was that if Thoma used his powers, they would be discovered.

"Then, how are we going to find them?" asked Sanderson.

Thoma stopped, he knew exactly what he had to do and for Lily's sake he had to follow the plan and complete it perfectly, he would not risk losing his only chance to save her.

"You'll go while I distract them" said the boy.

Sanderson looked at him confused, he didn't understand how he would be able to stand alone against all of the Hückebein if he couldn't even stop the two he faced when finding Fate.

"I don't think it's a good idea"

"Don't worry, I can handle them"

But Sanderson wasn't so sure about that, although he also knew that if one of them could distract the Hückebein, that would be Thoma, after all, he was just a simple human trained in the military, while Thoma had powers he couldn't even imagine.

He had to trust that the boy would be fine, he had no other alternative.

"Do me a favor, kid" Sanderson said.

"Sure…" Thoma whispered.

Sanderson approached him and put a hand on his shoulder as he looked into his eyes with the seriousness of a true soldier commanding the most dangerous mission of their lives.

"Get out of this alive, I don't want to have to tell Lily that you died for been stupid" whispered Sanderson.

Thoma smiled, at first he had thought that Sanderson would ask him to stay back as long as possible so he could escape, but instead, he was there asking him to come out alive from that.

Maybe it was worthy saving the world from a bunch of artificial mages infected with a virus, very powerful and crazy on the brink of death.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she jumps into my arms just upon seeing me" Thoma answered.

Sanderson gave him a small smile before stepping back so Thoma, closing his eyes, could summon his powers and find out the whereabouts of the Hückebein and the Project F's files.

And then, he saw him smile.

"200 meters north along that road, it's a one way so there's no chance of getting lost… and the files are in Fortis' office, 3 meters to the right of the main entrance" said Thoma, pointing to a road in front of them.

"All right then, here I go" Sanderson said.

Thoma stood there watching him as he finished preparing his weapons and started to move toward a destination that could save the world…

Or kill them both.

"Be careful, old man" said Thoma.

Sanderson turned once more before smiling and grabbing his gun to continue his way with the directions he had received minutes before, while Thoma awaited the Hückebein, who were already on their way, after noticing his power so close to them.

They were after him and Thoma doubted that he could make it out like last time.

_It seems I'm afraid, Lily…_

* * *

She was starting to lose hope in her fight, she had struggled to find a way to heal herself and her companions, hoping to then have Veryon by her side and start a family.

But Arnage's plans never went right and that was not an exception.

And now, to top it off, that damn Thoma Avenir had come to their home without notice, but the weirdest thing was that he was alone, something strange considering he always had Lily stuck to his back.

"Nasty…" she said to herself.

What they had, was not like what she had with Veryon, they didn't need to be together to see if the other was alright or not, rather it was as if with a simple exchange of glances, they knew everything about each other.

_That's love…_

"Located, Thoma Avenir" Cypha said.

"Remember, Thoma is an important part for our plan, I don't want killing, just capturing, understand?" said DeVille.

Veryon and Arnage nodded as they watched Thoma, running across the plain as his eyes connected with hers.

And for a moment, she didn't want to fight him.

He could feel the curious eyes of Veryon on her, but she could only think of the boy they were chasing like hyenas, was all of that really worth it?

Why couldn't they work together?

"Arnage! Get him!" yelled Veryon.

She looked at the boy, very close to where she was and so she decided to stop thinking about such things and concentrate on her mission.

She had to catch the blonde and bring her to Fortis to find a cure, that's what he had told them and that's exactly what they would do. Afterwards, they could do whatever they wanted with her.

After all she didn't care, right?

* * *

Her hand trembled…

Nanoha felt how the hand that held her device trembled as she stared at Fate's unconscious body lying on that bed while the girl on her side looked at her with a mixture of affection and concern.

_She's alive… Fate-chan is alive…_

"F…Fa…te…-chan?" she slowly asked.

Lily, Hayate, Signum and Vita looked at her but she didn't even care, she just wanted a single pair of eyes to look at her, a pair that were now closed but that she expected, would open at any moment.

She needed to see the burgundy of her eyes.

"When did it happen?" Hayate asked.

"During training…" Lily said.

Hayate approached Fate, grabbing one of her hands, somewhat weak for her liking but it was Fate-chan and she was with her family again.

_Thank god…_

"You said she was dead…" Signum whispered.

Hayate turned to see Signum with tear in her eyes, something completely out of place for her, but it wasn't strange for anyone, even for Lily, the truth was that Signum really cared for Fate and she was glad to see her safe and sound.

"I did it to protect the mission Signum, I'm sorry" whispered Hayate.

Signum left the tent, not wanting anyone to see her tears, she was a knight, she couldn't cry, not of joy or sorrow…

She couldn't feel, but only for once, she let her emotions take a little control over her.

_I'm glad you're home again, Testarossa…_

Inside the tent, Vita looked around somewhat relieved for not having lost a friend like Fate, but at the same time, she still felt something wasn't quite right in that whole situation.

And then she felt her linker core, weak but also waiting to awake a power that not even Fate herself could limit.

"What's wrong with her?" she asked Lily.

Lily lowered her gaze, watching Fate beginning to move and waking up, and she knew she had to talk with them urgently.

Maybe they could save Thoma and Sanderson, and bring the files.

"Nanoha, she's waking up, stay with her while I speak with them" Lily whispered.

How did she know her name, Nanoha didn't know, she just knew she would not leave Fate's side ever again and so she nodded and let them got as she watched Fate moved and turned her head toward her side.

And then, Fate Testarossa Harlaown, opened her eyes.

* * *

Yuuno had known from the beginning.

He had known that Fate would only bring more tears than joys, that she would destroy more lives than the ones she would save…

And now that she could actually do something, she was no longer there to help, and he had no other solution to cure those infected by the virus.

_Damn you, Fate… I wish we had never met you._

Because of being that way, he would not mind sacrificing her if she was still alive, he wouldn't have cared to use her to heal hundreds of people, he would have Nanoha, she would be happy without her, she should've been if Fate hadn't been there to ruin her life…

_Then why are you crying, Scrya?_

Because he knew it, he could imagine many sorts of things like that, yet, he couldn't forget that thanks to her, Nanoha had been happy…

Vivio had been happy with her mothers and that was enough for him, even if he would have wanted to be in her place, he accepted it and supported it.

And it was then that Yuuno Scrya realized that Fate touched people's lives just with her smile, she needed nothing else to convince someone or make them fall for her.

"And now what do I do, Fate?" he asked to the sky.

Because from him was expected the solution and he had no other answer than, without Fate there's no cure.

And he could only stay to pick up the pieces.

_Come one Yuuno, I'm sure that if you try hard enough you can get something better…_

"Fate?" he asked turning around.

But there was no one there, although something caught his attention, it was the copy of the report about Project F and some pieces of paper on the state of Alicia Testarossa…

And then, he knew he could try something else.

"That's it, Fate!" he yelled.

If they managed to create Fate from Alicia's cells, and then altered them for the virus, could he do the same and find a solution? Could he clone the cells of Alicia and Fate in search of a cure?

Yes or no, he would try it, he owed it to Fate and to all for whom she fought.

_I won't disappoint you, Fate._


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Fate Testarossa Harlaown was confused for the first time in her life, she didn't know what to say when the first thing she saw was the face she loved most in her life.

"Na…noha?" asked the Enforcer.

The brunette just smiled, while small rivers formed in her eyes and she opened her arms to embrace her in a hug.

"Thank, thank, thank god you're okay…" Nanoha whispered in her ear.

_Seems like she really missed you, Fate…_

Fate looked at Nanoha's head and smiled as she let her body joined hers in the hug and her touch to invade her skin.

She had missed her hands over her body.

"I'm fine, Nanoha" Fate whispered.

"I… thought you…" Nanoha murmured.

"It's okay, calm down"

Then she wrapped her arms around her and started to rock her slowly while Nanoha let out her grief and joy in tears, Fate just stayed there, cradling her like a baby as she repeated over and over that she was there, and would not leave again…

She didn't have the heart to leave her again.

"Fate-chan…" Nanoha whispered.

Then, Fate lost track of what was happening as she watched Nanoha's bright eyes getting closer to hers, and her lips, those she longed to kiss…

They were gently crashing with hers.

She wasn't able to react in time, feeling the softness of Nanoha's lips on hers, teasing her, waking her, driving her crazy in her confusion.

"Nanoha… Nanoha wait…" Fate whispered against her lips.

Nanoha then stopped, breathing heavily but with a tender smile, as if she had really put love into that kiss…

As if she really felt for her what she felt for Nanoha.

"I don't understand…" Fate whispered.

"I love you…"

Fate's eyes widened, she was dreaming, now she was sure of it, it wasn't possible that she loved her when she had Yuuno and was happy with him.

Then, why did her heart seemed to be about to burst?

"I'm dreaming…" Fate whispered to herself.

Because otherwise, she was sure she would die of happiness.

Nanoha waited nervously for Fate to say something, she had just given her her heart and, although she knew Fate wouldn't hurt her, she couldn't imagine how things would be if they were not together in the way she wanted.

"I'm dreaming…" Fate said again.

Nanoha looked at her with suspicion, dreaming? Was that good or bad? She didn't understand but she knew that if she didn't take advantage of that moment, she wouldn't have another chance to fully confess.

"Fate-chan, I love you, I fell in love with you in a way that not even I know how to explain, I just know that every time you leave something inside me dies and when I see you…" Nanoha said looking into her eyes. "… when I see you I feel all the good that this world has to offer"

Fate looked at her between surprise and confusion, obviously for Nanoha, a sign that her friend didn't feel the same and that was killing her.

"And Yuuno?" Fate suddenly asked.

_Yuuno? Who cares about Yuuno now?_

"What do you mean?" Nanoha asked.

"Yuuno… he's your partner, right?"

What Nanoha felt at that moment was a mixture of disbelief and a sudden sense of guilt, could it be that her confusion had pushed Fate away from her side?

"I… don't know" said Nanoha.

Fate seemed even more confused, then she gently grabbed each side of Nanoha's face and looked straight into her eyes.

"Nanoha swear to me, that you'll answer this question with complete honesty" Fate whispered.

"Yeah… I will"

"If you don't have anything with Yuuno now, then why was he having dinner in your house, with you and Vivio, and your family?" Fate seriously asked.

Nanoha felt her cheeks heat up and she prepared herself to answer with all the seriousness she felt came from Fate…

If Fate wasn't joking with her, then she wouldn't either.

"I invited him home to break up with him… my family discovered I was in love with you and helped me so that everything would be easier…" Nanoha whispered closing her eyes. "…I love _you_ and I had to lose you to realize how much I needed you with me, always… when Hayate told me you were dead, then I really knew that without you, I didn't want to live…" she finished.

Then, she felt something fall on her hands which were joined with Fate's, it was tears, Fate's tears, who was gently shaking from hearing her words and smiling with a light that Nanoha had been long without seeing.

"I've waited so long for this…" Fate whispered.

Nanoha then stopped, lost in the eyes of her best friend, her light in the darkness, could it be that she was saying what Nanoha wanted? Was it possible?

"Fate-chan…"

"I love you too, Nanoha"

And before she knew what was happening, Fate's lips were on hers, biting her lips and teasing as if to let loose all the desire impatiently waiting inside her.

Finally she was sure she had found the missing piece in her life and she would make sure not to lose it anymore.

The two fell on the bed between kisses. If that was how it felt like to be with the person who really filled you, then neither wanted to stop feeling it.

"I love you, I love you…" Fate repeated again and again.

Nanoha smiled as she stroked her hair, feeling again what it was to touch her, feeling her right next to her, having her all for herself.

_Herself alone…_

Before she could stop she bit Fate's ear affectionately as she lowered her hand, hungry, under the sheets that covered Fate.

_Red alert, heat rising out of control…_

Fate gulped as she watched Nanoha and what she was doing with her, and she felt her own desires take over her as her hand moved up under Nanoha's shirt.

She loved her skin.

Then, she did something out of character for her, she placed her lips on Nanoha's neck and began to lick it lustfully while the instructor could do nothing but try and contain the moans of pleasure.

_Okay, Fate-chan, if you want to play, then me too…_

Her hand traveled to the inside of Fate's pants and she smiled when she heard the moans of pleasure from her partner, who instead of pushing her away, moved closer to her hand in search of warmth.

"Nanoha…" Fate whispered. "…Nanoha…"

"I love the way you say my name, Fate-chan" Nanoha whispered in her ear.

Fate then looked at her, with all the love she had inside and the assurance that she would not leave her again, that the two, together, could get through all the obstacles that life may bring on them.

Because whether or not she was the cure, whether they had to experiment with her or not, with Nanoha at her side, Fate felt she could do anything.

But while the "anything" was on its way, she was planning on teaching her what it was to be in love with Fate Testarossa and all she had to offer.

* * *

"Then, Thoma and Sanderson are searching for the Project F's files…" Vita whispered.

Lily nodded, to none of them went unnoticed the girl's fear for her friend and Thoma, it seemed that the place they had gone to was dangerous, and Vita felt the need to go investigate.

"Alright, I'll go after them" Vita said.

"What?" Lily asked.

"Vita…" Hayate whispered.

Vita got up, she was planning to go alone, to fight their new enemies and see if they were really stronger than Hayate's guardians, and on the way to know what they were facing.

Because, frankly, all of that didn't look good, everything revolved around Fate and for some reason, Vita could feel that everything would not end well.

_I'm tired of bad endings…_

"I'll call Signum, don't worry" she told Hayate.

She couldn't say Hayate wasn't worried, but she knew better than anyone the perseverance of Vita and she knew that no matter what she said she would do what she had planned.

That's why she was most stubborn of them all.

"Be careful…" Hayate whispered.

"We will" Vita said.

And before Lily could say anything, Vita had left and Hayate was looking at her with her eyes full of seriousness, then she knew she hadn't been able to hide the truth from the Commander.

"Talk, now" Hayate said.

Lily sighed, she knew someone would eventually discover her and she also knew she couldn't do anything but accept the reality that was more possible.

"Fate is the only one who can save us because the virus was extracted from the genes she was created from, but her energy, which is what we need to transform it into a cure for us, comes from her linker core and to be able to use it…" Lily whispered.

Hayate felt she was losing her strength when understanding. She didn't like it, she hated everything that the girl was telling her and she hoped that the Project F revealed another safer way to cure everyone…

Because otherwise…

"To use it we would have to remove the linker core from Fate-chan…" Hayate whispered. "… and that, would kill her"

Exactly the same way that Lily's affirmation had just killed her, and her tears started to fall on her hands, then she prayed to find another solution in the files or else…

The whole future of Nanoha and Fate would disappear.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey everyone, sorry for not updating all of last week, I went on a small trip and didn't take my laptop so i couldn't translate anything, but I'm back, yay. Well so this was chapter 11, Nanoha and Fate are finally together, but what will happen next? well let's find out next chapter, so keep in touch, thanks for all of you guys who follow this story and for all your reviews, I really appreciate them. oh and I almost forgot to answer a question. ZonaRose: so far there are 23 chapters in the story, but it seems like it's not over yet, there hasn't been an update in quite a while so i don't know how many chapters are left. Well thanks for reading and please review. ;)


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Bridshot Shell!" shouted Veryon.

Thoma barely managed to dodge Veryon's attack while at the same time he tried to protect himself from DeVille, whose speed gave him a great advantage.

_Calm down, Thoma, remember the training…_

Thoma closed his eyes, summoning his powers to counter attack his enemies. He knew how and what to do, but first he needed to calm down.

And then he thought about the only person who managed to calm him down when he was nervous or out of control…

_Lily…_

As if on command, Thoma relaxed to the thought of his partner, he had to win if he wanted her to be safe, after all, he owed everything to her and he wasn't about to disappoint her.

_The power… I feel it flowing through me, is it because of the virus? Or is this my true power as an artificial mage?_

And then, something strange happened, his body was loaded with power, one he recognized all too well, the virus was taking control of his body and combining with his magic power, it was amazing…

_Now I understand why we're so dangerous…_

He opened his eyes, lit with the power that flowed from his body and he got prepared to attack with everything he had.

_I hope you hurry, Sanderson…_

He thought of his friend, the one he had left alone in one of the world's most dangerous bases, one of which he might not come out alive, and he prayed for him to come out of there alright and return home with Fate and Lily. He had risked his life for something that had nothing to do with him, and that was the least he deserved.

_Fate, please, save her and take care…._

He pointed his weapon at Veryon, almost without looking who it was and feeling nothing, not even the touch of the air in his skin, only his power, a power that would end up destroying them all, a power that only Fate could stop…

Even at the cost of his life, he knew that Fate would do the right thing in the end, because that's how she was, like him, always giving anything for the only purpose of saving their love ones, even their lives.

_Lily, it seems like we'll no longer be together…_

His weapon began to glow with his power while Veryon looked scared at him, he felt nothing except a light touch on his arm, then, he looked down to find a tear there.

He was crying for her.

_I don't want to go away from you, Lily…_

The power was consuming him, filling him so that he was unable to breathe. He felt the pressure in his veins and his heart was about to burst…

That was the real power of the virus.

_I love you, Lily… that's the truth._

"Silver Barret!" Thoma shouted.

The light shot out in the form of several bullets, at full speed, headed for the same target, while Thoma felt his strength leaving him…

Everything was turning dark.

_I'm just going to sleep…_

And then everything went black…

* * *

Sanderson froze in place when he heard an explosion coming from the place where Thoma should have been fighting with the Hückebein.

_To think that he can stop them alone…_

He closed his eyes hiding the desire to go back and help him, he had a mission, he had to find the files to help solve the problem of the virus and that was all he had to think about.

And yet, he couldn't stop thinking about Thoma.

_If he wins or loses, you have a job Sanderson, so get to work…_

He took a breath before entering the main hall of the base, or at least that's what it seemed like, and he sought for any sign of life.

Apparently, everyone was focused on Thoma, since he couldn't find anyone else as much as he looked.

_Be careful, Sanderson, they're mages, not a simple soldier like you._

And that was something he shouldn't forget. He walked through the hall, slowly, taking a look at every corner, but it seemed like there was no one in the entire room.

"Let's see…the office…that's it, here you are" he whispered to himself.

Fortis' office was one of the last rooms with a small lock on it, making it impossible for Sanderson to enter the office.

"Well, then…" he whispered.

He put a silencer on his gun and shot the lock, which fell to the ground and allowed him to enter in search of the files.

"They should be around here…"

Quickly, he searched the place and found some papers that talked about a resent project, mixed with papers from Project F, a project that, from what he could see… would be of no good either for him or the mages…

"They've neutralized Thoma Avenir, he's been brought here" said a man.

Sanderson looked up to hear footsteps coming from the hallway towards the direction where he was, they were talking about Thoma and how they had captured him unconscious after a hard fight, they also said something about a certain Veryon been seriously injured and some things about Fate and the project.

_I have to get out of here…_

Sanderson quickly looked around him, he saw a window, his escape, but if got out of there, he would lose the opportunity to hear about Thoma and know if he was live or not.

But he had no choice and he knew that the boy, was still alive, and he would find a way to get to him again.

_Don't give up kid, I'll come back…_

* * *

Fortis opened the door to his office at the same time that the sound of glass echoed though his office, he saw a shadow fall from his window as the wind entered leaving everything cold.

"But… what?"

Then he remembered Thoma and the rarity of him being alone, facing them without support, with no one to cover him…

What he had thought before was true, Thoma was just a distraction.

"Damn it…" he whispered. "Damn it!"

He ran to the table where his papers were gone, there was nothing left of his project Fate and the original Project F, everything was gone.

They had been stolen…

"Cypha! DeVille!" he desperately screamed.

The two appeared before him in seconds, Fortis' face full of concern and intrigue as he nervously paced through the office.

_This is bad… really bad…_

"What wrong, Fortis?" Cypha asked.

"Go find the intruder, he has my papers" he said.

The two knights didn't even dare to ask for an explanation as they left the room through the window, looking for the intruder, and Fortis was left there, alone…

Lost…

Because if he were to lose that information, not only would he lose the opportunity to investigate the first perfect artificial mage, but he would also lose the chance to find a cure for his people…

For Curren.

And frankly, he didn't know if he would stand losing her too.

* * *

Sanderson ran as fast as he could, in the fall he had hurt his arm and was afraid that the blood running down from it would leave a track for the enemies.

But still, he couldn't take Thoma out of his mind.

_Please, be alright, I can't tell Lily that you're…_

No, he couldn't even think about it, he preferred thinking that he had been captured and was alive, otherwise…

Otherwise he knew Lily wouldn't stand it…

"He's hurt!" yelled a woman.

Sanderson muttered something to himself before continuing running, with the files on his good arm and his will taking him home again.

He would do it, he had to…

"There he is!" yelled a man.

And Sanderson cursed, because he couldn't take it anymore and they were going to catch him without him being able to give the files to Fate, without being able to fulfill Thoma's wish.

_You're just a useless human._

But then, something happened, a shadow grabbed hold of him while another used its weapon to hide his tracks from the enemies.

And, not knowing what to trust, he let himself get carried away by the dark swirl that was trying to swallow him with one last thought on his mind.

_I'm sorry, kid._

* * *

"Are they gone?" asked Signum.

"Yes, we have to take him to Hayate" Vita said.

Signum nodded before she started flying. She had seen the man running and recognized him as Sanderson, who had the files about Project F and another project in his hands.

But there was no sign of Thoma Avenir.

"Either they got him, or he's dead" Vita clarified.

And, for some reason, she couldn't stop thinking about the second option.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Fate realized that happiness didn't last for long when she saw Signum and Vita come in with Sanderson in arms…

A Sanderson she didn't know, tired and bloody, there was nothing left of the strong soldier she had seen during her stay with his team and that, frightened her…

"What happened?" she quickly asked.

Signum looked at Vita and back at Fate while leaving Sanderson in one of the stretchers and Hayate tried to do something with his wounds.

"They were chasing him and we saved him" Signum said.

"What? From what?" Fate asked again.

"From the people who had the Project F files" Vita said.

And Fate again felt her worst nightmares come true when she saw Sanderson holding, even in his unconsciousness, the documents that would open way to the knowledge of her creation…

To the truth she didn't want to accept.

"Give me the files" Fate said.

Vita handed them to her reluctantly as she watched Fate's startled look, she really didn't want to see what was written there, but the duty was more important than her fears…

And her duty now was to solve that puzzle.

Fate grabbed the files with fear, her hands were shaking and she could swear that her vision got clouded when she felt a gentle hand on hers and a body sticking to her back.

"I'm with you, Fate-chan" Nanoha whispered after kissing her on the shoulder.

Fate closed her eyes as she breathed slowly, then she grabbed one of Nanoha's hands and put it in her chest, needing her strength to carry on.

She had never realized how vital Nanoha was in her life.

"Hold me tight, Nanoha" the blonde whispered.

Because she could feel she was falling into an abyss, like many years ago, when she was nothing more than the slave of Precia Testarossa, and she didn't want to go back there…

"I will, Fate-chan, I won't let go" Nanoha whispered.

And there, in front of everyone and gripped by Nanoha's strong embrace, Fate Testarossa Harlaown opened the Project F files…

_Happiness is definitely not made for me…_

* * *

Thoma could feel the dizziness and nausea of someone who had just been moved at a speed too fast for their own good.

The first thing he saw was that he was not home.

_Is this a nightmare...?_

"He's waking up" said a voice.

Thoma needed all his strength to focus his eyes and see the Hückebein in front of him, looking at him as if he was the chosen guinea pig for the experiment.

But there was something that surprised him even more, the fact that he was alive even though he had used the virus to fight.

How was it possible?

"Is he one of Testarossa's friends?" asked another man.

Thoma just looked at the man who approached him with an aura of superiority, as if he was much more than him, but Thoma knew the truth…

The man reeked of fear.

"Yes sir, Thoma Avenir" Fortis answered.

And the man looked at him with a smile as if having him there were the best news he could have received, as if having him there…

Wait a second…

"What do you… want?" Thoma asked.

The man moved closer and crouched in front of him to look into his eyes, eyes that reflected hatred, contempt…

Destruction.

"I want Fate Testarossa, kid" whispered the man.

And Thoma trembled, because on the inside he could feel that what he wanted from her was not only the cure for the virus…

If they managed to get her, they would destroy her…

"Never…" Thoma whispered.

The man simply smiled and stood up, making a gesture to DeVille and Veryon to lock him up in a cell located not far from them.

"You… won't… find her" Thoma whispered.

The man then turned, showing his evil smile while Thoma was been taken to the cell where they would keep him captive.

"There is no need, you'll bring her to me" said the man.

* * *

Lily had not cried, she had not even stopped to think about Thoma while looking at Fate together with Nanoha and the others, check the Project F files, her cure was there and she knew that that was what Thoma had wanted.

_He is not coming back, he went to get the cure for me…_

She left the small handkerchief he had given to her in the table as she remembered that he had always said, that no matter how many obstacles appeared on his way, if she was with him, he could go against anything.

_But now he's not here and everything seems to have lost its meaning…_

If she gave it a little thought, she could remember so much things about him, his way of hugging her, the way he held her at night, how he was able to brighten her world with one of his smiles…

How he fought to protect her.

_And now…_

A tear fell on her hand, then another and another, until Lily had to admit that everything was going to be more difficult than ever if he wasn't beside her.

He was her friend, her family…

_My only and true…_

"Thoma…" she whispered to herself.

And she surrendered to sadness, because without him she didn't see a future, he was her partner and if she had lost him, she herself could get lost in hell, little did she cared without him.

"**Miss Testarossa, it's a pleasure to finally meet the person who can help save the artificial mages"** whispered a voice.

Fate could feel it, it was a voice full of evil that only wanted to hurt her, a voice that surely was the one behind that whole problem.

The traitor.

"Who are you?" asked Fate angry.

"**As if you really cared, Miss Testarossa, all I have to say is that we don't want anything with the person we have invited into our base" **said the voice again.

"Who is that person? What do you want?" Fate asked again.

A shadow made a gesture with its hand as Lily entered the room, surprised to see the picture showed in a screen.

"**We want an exchange, Miss Testarossa, you come with us and Thoma Avenir will return with his partner"**

"No… Fate…" Thoma whispered.

And, suddenly, Lily felt that everything was just about to get worse.

"No way!"

Nanoha's voice sounded so loud that Fate was scared, but it was nothing compared to what she felt when she saw Nanoha beside her, furious.

And she was completely beautiful that way.

_Get serious, Testarossa…_

"**If you refuse, we'll kill Thoma Avenir and search until we find you, Miss Testarossa"**

Fear filled her senses, she could feel Lily fighting not to cry, the anger in Signum and Vita, the concern in Hayate…

And the determination in Nanoha.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

She saw the shadow moved, as if thinking about what to say in answer to the question she had asked.

"**I have some unsolved matters with you, Testarossa"** it finally said.

_Testarossa, it says with hatred…_

Fate could feel Nanoha's grip in her hands, as if she felt that if she let go her she would disappear again, and once again, she was forced to choose…

What was more important? Would she save Thoma and lose her future? Or would she let him die in exchange for a few more moments with Nanoha?

_Happiness doesn't last forever, and much less if it's for me…_

Because even though she didn't want to separate from Nanoha, she knew she couldn't leave Thoma alone at that moment.

_If I can save him, I have to try…_

"**You have one hour to decide, Testarossa, if you're not here by then, we'll kill Thoma Avenir…"**

And as sudden as it had come it left, leaving Fate with a pain in her chest that couldn't be taken away.

She had to leave everything over again and this time, she wasn't sure she could get it back again.

"No… don't even think about it, Fate-chan" Nanoha whispered.

But it was too late, Nanoha couldn't stop her as much as she tried and she herself was dying in the inside for it.

It was her destiny… always alone, always fighting…

That's what she had been created for and she would do it until the end.

"I'm sorry, Nanoha" she whispered.

And before Nanoha could say anything that would hurt them both, Fate pulled away from her and grabbed Bardiche with a sad smile in her face.

"Take care, my love" she whispered to Nanoha.

* * *

Nanoha just saw her disappear, watching the place where she had been seconds before and felt her world crumbling around her…

I was much worse than last time…

"Fate-chan…" she whispered through tears. "…you idiot…"

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, this notes are only to try and explain a little "mistake" or I don't how to call it, that was pointed out by someone, Mayvarik thanks for letting me know. Well it seems that somehow Bardiche is once again in its normal form, so he is not merged with Fate any more, I think. As you all know I'm not the author of the story I'm just translating it so maybe the author forgot what they had written before or something, but it seems like in the next chapter Fate actually uses Bardiche in a fight, how is that possible, I don't know, but that's how its written and I can't really change it or I would have to re-write the story. Well that's it, so yeah, continue reading and reviewing. :)


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N: **Just a small note for those who didn't read the a/n at the end of last chapter. I would recommend going back and read them to avoid any further confusion. Well with that said please go head and read, hope you enjoy, and please review. ;)

* * *

**Chapter 14**

Thoma looked around his cell in search of a way out before Fate set a foot on that place.

Because he knew she would come, she couldn't leave a friend alone to their fate and so he had to fight to do the same.

"But how…" he whispered.

His hands were tied and he was so tired he could barely move. He felt all his strength weakening with every minute.

"It's the virus…" whispered Arnage.

Thoma looked up to see the girl before him, he assumed it was her turn on watch and tried his best to ignore her, not wanting to hear her or any of their damn reasons to "do the right thing" as they said.

"You know… I've been thinking" she said.

Thoma looked away as she approached and grabbed his hair, forcing him to look at her as she stayed serious, her eyes showing something like…

Was she sorry?

"I don't know why we fight, kid, I don't even know why we can't work together just because that guy wants to destroy you and your friend, the cure" she said.

Thoma looked at her, finally interested in what she had to say and thinking that maybe, Arnage, had finally understood why everything was a crazy idea.

"You're right, Arnage, this is crazy, we should help each other and not try kill ourselves" whispered Thoma.

"Arnage" Veryon yelled.

The two turned in time to see an angry Veryon entering the room and harshly grabbing Arnage's arm.

"Let go!" she yelled.

"You can't talk to him, he's the enemy" Veryon said.

"He's like us…" Arnage tried to explain.

"No… he's not"

Thoma, who was watching the whole scene, noticed that the two Hückebein members weren't too convinced with their plans of destruction, in fact, he could even say that there was no malice in them.

Could it be that they were facing a revenge that had nothing to do with them?

"Veryon don't you see? He's someone affected by the virus, he's just like us" Arnage said.

"No! He has been trying to hurt us… to hurt you and I can't forgive that" Veryon said.

Thoma wanted to say that it was a lie, that he only wanted to find a cure and had finally gotten a chance when finding Fate, and now they were working on getting a cure, or at least, he hoped that Lily was working on it, in order to cure them all.

But it wasn't necessary.

"Don't worry" Arnage whispered.

She pulled him, letting Veryon rest on her chest as she stroked his hair calmly, giving him the peace he needed.

And Thoma looked away, thinking that maybe, there was still hope for everyone among that big problem.

* * *

Fortis knew Curren did nothing but get worse, she hadn't gotten out of bed since last time due to exhaustion, though she didn't want to admit it.

"Leave me alone, Fortis, I have to sleep" Curren said.

"I have to inject you this" he said.

"I don't need any of your weird medicine" she replied.

Fortis sighed angry, but he was soon back to normal when she didn't even make an effort to stop him…

It was bad, he was losing her.

_I need that damn artificial mage…_

"Now you can sleep, Curren" he whispered.

She just closed her eyes as he watched her, he couldn't believe that someone like her would just die like that, he would not allow it.

"I'll cure you, Curren, I promise" he whispered.

He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead before leaving her room with the strong intention to do whatever it took to save the person he loved, everyone loved.

"Fortis…" Yachi whispered.

He turned to see the face of the man who had managed to bring Fate there, where he could examine her…

Where he would find the cure for Curren and the others.

"Our guest is already here" Yachi said.

Then Fortis saw Yachi approach him quietly and then he felt something burning in his chest, it was something like pain escaping from his chest as red drops…

Drops that were gradually getting larger…

"What…?" Fortis whispered.

"Idiot. I care very little about your existence" Yachi whispered.

Then there on the floor, Fortis understood the mistake he had made, he had brought home their worst enemy…

The person who would kill them all.

* * *

Fate knew that what she was doing would cost her more than her existence, but despite that she was unable to leave Thoma there, at the mercy of their enemies.

"Welcome to my home, Fate Testarossa Harlaown" said a voice.

She wasn't sure, but the voice seemed familiar, too much for her liking, it was a voice she remembered from her memories as Alicia Testarossa.

But she couldn't identify it.

"Let Thoma go" she said.

"Sure… as soon as I'm done with you" he answered.

A ball of energy came out of nowhere straight to her while she held hard on Bardiche and raised it in the air.

"Bardiche! Set Up!" she shouted.

The light coming from her disintegrated the ball making it gas while she transformed into her barrier jacket to face her enemy.

"I will not repeat it, let Thoma go" she whispered.

"You have no right to even exist, let alone to demand something, monster" he whispered.

Then Fate felt something familiar, it was as if she was once again talking with Precia and all her hatred toward her for not being Alicia.

Could this be related to Alicia?

"I see, Precia didn't even bother to put her memories about me" he said.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

Gradually, the shape of a man was revealed until Fate could see a blond man, tall, with burgundy eyes and a look full of hatred.

And, as a revelation, she guesses who he was.

"You…" she whispered.

"Yes, I'm Thoma Yachi, Alicia Testarossa's father, the father of the woman who I should be seen today instead of…" he said with hatred. "… instead of you"

Fate was frozen, unable to do or say anything as the truth became present in her.

He was the one who had been behind everything this whole time, he was one of the high commanders of the Bureau Administration.

"Now I'll make you pay for trying to take the place of my little Alicia, I'll finish you and then all this plague of virus"

But then, something happened, Yachi fell to the ground breathing heavily and looking at his hand, where a cut had appeared, probably after stabbing Fortis, but that was not what worried him.

What really worried him was the fact that the Fortis' blood, containing the virus, was on top of his wound.

"No!" he yelled.

Fate looked at him confused as he rose with difficulty and looked at her with hatred, bitterness, but his eyes had changed.

Now they were blood red.

"I'm going to destroy you, Testarossa" he said.

Before she could do anything, Tomura Yachi let himself be absorbed by the virus giving him all the power he needed to finish Fate.

_This time I won't fail, Alicia…_

* * *

On Sanderson's base, he himself was surprised to not have had that information before.

"I can't believe it…" Hayate whispered.

"I didn't expect this" Sanderson said.

Lily watched them, still not believing what she was seeing, the last part of the Project F file that Fate had not read, contained the truth about the virus they had in their blood.

"It can't be…" Nanoha said sitting in a chair.

The document explained that a first class officer and captain of the special forces of Mid-Childa, had broken into the final stage of Project F, getting in the way of the plutonium spheres and the magnetic fields that would give life to Fate and thus creating a paradox.

A paradox that had turned Fate half human, and the intruder half artificial mage at the same time that the two were injected with the virus contained in the plutonium sphere.

The virus had not been just in one person, but it had rather been divided into two persons, one part in Fate's linker core, which contained the virus and the cure, while the other…

The other part was in the heart of the intruder and would only start its reaction when the person was infected by the blood of another person who had the virus.

Hayate, still shaking from the news, looked at the name of the intruder, which Jail Scaglietti wrote at the end of the document, a name she knew well, for their achievements and for their rebellion…

It was their traitor…

"Oh, god" she whispered.

It was Tomura Yachi and according to Jail Scaglietti, the father of Alicia Testarossa.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Erio had disappeared…

Shamal had looked in the rooms, in the cafeteria, in the garden, in the offices but had found no trace of the boy.

_Where are you?_

Not even Caro had seen him, which gave Shamal a small hint of what could have caused his voluntary disappearance.

_Maybe it's the virus, perhaps it already took control over his mind…_

It hurt to think that she had lost him, the boy was young and strong, he should have been able to endure more than what she suspected he had.

"Shamal-san…" whispered Caro.

Caro had tears in her eyes, Shamal could feel tears in hers too, but she tried not to shed them, she had to be strong, she couldn't give up, she was the damn doctor of the Riot Force Six and could face anything…

Despite the outcome.

"Shamal, I'll go look for Yuuno" Subaru said.

Subaru and Teanna had also joined the search for Erio, and had looked in the surrounding areas without success, but they were still trying relentlessly.

"Yuuno?" asked the doctor.

"He has investigated things about the virus, maybe he can help" Teanna explained.

Shamal looked at her hands, remembering that at one time she had helped him but afterwards he had locked himself in his library not letting anyone come in to investigate an important phenomenon.

_Idiot, I should have known…_

Yuuno was doing just as her, investigating the virus and looking for an alternative way to get a cure without Fate.

_**Incoming Call Commander Hayate Yagami**_

"Hayate?" asked the doctor looking at the worried image of her commander and friend.

"Shamal, this is going to be very hard to swallow, but you have to do it and fast…" she said.

_What is she talking about?_

"What…?" she began to ask.

"Fate is alive and the cure to Erio's virus" said the commander.

Shamal's eyes widened as she looked at the image of her friend, the surprise was reflected in her face and her heart seemed to stand a little more with each beat.

Until she remembered Erio and suddenly, a halo of light returned to her mind.

"Hayate, Erio has escaped…" she whispered to her friend.

Shamal couldn't tell which of the two was more surprised by the news they had just gotten.

* * *

Nanoha appeared to be dominating her inner beast with control, but she didn't know how much more would her patience last or how much more would the fear she felt grow.

She was about to lose Fate, this time for real.

_No, snap out of it, she's not going to let herself be killed so easily, she's strong, you have to believe in her…_

And despite that, the feeling that she could lose her didn't go away from her mind or heart…

She looked behind her, where Hayate, Vita and Signum were trying to determine where was the base of the Hückebein and making a rescue plan for Fate.

If they didn't arrive too late.

_What would I do without Fate-chan?_

She tried to imagine it, a world without Fate didn't make much sense to her, without her golden long hair that she always watched when waking up, without those burgundy eyes that made her shiver every time they looked at her, without the warmth of her body when she hugged her while making love just like a few hours ago.

She couldn't stand it.

"Don't worry, Nanoha, she's strong" Lily said.

The girl sat next to her and gave her a cup of tea which she gladly accepted as she calmed her sense, but she could feel Lily's eye on her, with a look that made Nanoha doubt, for they were looking at her with guilt.

Why did she look at her like that?

"Lily…" Nanoha started.

"Nanoha, I'm sorry" whispered Lily.

She didn't understand why she was apologizing, she assumed it was because of Fate's new battle and the whole deal with the virus, but something inside her told her that there was something else.

Then she heard the sound of rain outside the base and she looked back at Lily who was crying, now without hiding her tears.

_Why am I feeling like I'm losing Fate-chan again?_

"Nanoha… I still haven't told you how Fate can cure us…" whispered Lily.

Nanoha tightened her grip on the teacup, feeling a strange twinge of pain, her insides screaming not to listen, to believe that it was a lie…

And yet she remained waiting for the girl to talk.

"She can cure us if we extract her linker core, which is where the antidote is…" she whispered.

And suddenly, Nanoha just wanted to hear the rain as the feeling of pain became stronger and she felt the weight of an unfair future on her back.

_Fate-chan…_

_Fate-chan…_

_Can you hear me, Fate-chan?_

* * *

Yuuno had been waiting for a miracle to find a cure for the virus, he had tried the cloning without success and so he needed something to tell him that not everything was lost.

He never imagined that that miracle would be the only option, the only salvation…

Fate T. Harlaown was alive.

"Yuuno, what I'm telling you is true" Shamal was telling him.

Behind the doctor, the happy and worried faces of Caro, Subaru and Teanna accompanied her so he could tell them what they had to do now.

_Yuuno this will not be easy, nor will it have a happy ending…_

He remembered that, he remembered the investigation, and knowing that Fate would have to give away her linker core to save the other infected, was too much for him.

_I tried, I swear I tried to find another solution…_

"Then, we'll have to go to where she is and start using the antidote" Yuuno said.

"You know how to do it?" Shamal asked.

_I'd rather not…_

"Yes, Subaru and Teanna, go look for Vivio, Caro and Shamal get ready, we'll be leaving as soon as possible" Yuuno said with determination.

"And Erio?" asked Caro.

Yuuno smiled as he gave a squeeze of encouragement to the girl's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I think I have an idea of where he could be" he said.

_This is what you wanted, right? Now you will be the hero of the world sacrificing a good person._

He turned around as the girls were leaving, he didn't want them to see that not everything would end up well, at least not for everyone.

"I have to do what I have to do" he whispered to himself.

But when looking in the mirror, he had tears in his eyes, because now he could understand that wanting to and having to were two completely different things, and he had to learn it in the hardest way he could imagine.

_**Book on removing the Linker Core**_

He grabbed the book from is desk and placed it in his bag as he sighed, he didn't want to, but he had to and as much as he tried, he couldn't change what had to be done.

* * *

He was flying…

He was flying to where he felt he must go, he heard the danger, cries of agony, his head was burning with a madness that was eating his mind.

_Erio Mondial, she's waiting for you…_

Who was waiting for him? Why? He didn't know the answer but he had to be there before it was too late, he had to save her…

_I won't let her go away again…_

Because he had already suffered it once and had had enough, no one had believed in him until she arrived and he would make sure not to disappoint her trust.

That was all that was clear in his mind.

**I'll finish you!**

**This makes no sense! Stop!**

**No! You took her away from her and now I'll make you disappear!**

"No!" he yelled.

His head was going to explode, his heart was beating too hard and he was starting to have incoherent thoughts, he just knew he had to go protect her.

He had to save her.

_Fate-sama…_

And, suddenly, his mind was full of voices as he reached a strange base, the voices were all familiar, as if they all belonged in the same place…

As if they were all there for the same reason.

_Fate-sama!_

_Fate-sama!_

_Fate-sama!_

Then he saw a light come out of the center of the base, a light that showered the whole place and two figures flying together in the sky.

And he knew that there was where he should go.

The battle had started and he had to be part of it, to rescue Fate from the hands of evil and thus, be able to get the antidote.

_Her sacrifice will be our freedom…_

And even though that phrase was repeated like a mantra in his mind, two tears fell from boy's eyes.

Erio Mondial would sacrifice his teacher for the greater good.

_Life couldn't be more unfair…_


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Fate could feel it inside of her, the power came out of her in waves as she protected herself from Yachi's attacks that were increasingly vicious.

The power was consuming her, the virus and antidote flowing equally through her as she felt every hit from her enemy.

"Die!" he yelled.

She closed her eyes, her heart beating faster than normal and sweat trickling across her face, her whole body was on fire.

_The virus… why now?_

At the same time, she could notice that she wasn't losing control or sanity, assuming it was due to the antidote that the people around her were in need of.

Then she saw Yachi smile, a malicious smile that implied he was planning something that would not be good for her.

"We are the same being, Fate…" he said with disgust. "… The day I tried to destroy you, I became one with you…"

Fate looked straight at Yachi's eyes, only to discover the hidden memories of a creation that she still didn't quite understood.

_**Flashback**_

_He was aware of it, she was almost exactly like her in everything, the same eyes, hair, smile, it was as if his little Alicia hadn't left._

That's a lie! She's dead… dead!

_And that nasty invention was the one to blame for making him remember, once again, that his daughter was not indispensable, that she had never been special to them._

She was special to me… although she never knew it…

_Anger took over him. That creation couldn't be his daughter, he would destroy the plans of Precia and Jail before they were completed._

This is for you, Alicia…

"_Prepare the virus in 3, 2, 1!" Jail said._

_That was his chance, now or never…_

"_Virus injection!" Precia said._

_And he jumped, he stood beside the copy of his daughter hoping to disconnect her before it was too late, but suddenly, he felt needles digging into his skin, burning his body as his strength grew and then disappeared from him._

Alicia…

"_Alicia…" he whispered before falling to the ground._

_He could hear the voices of Precia and jail, and he struggled to escape from there before they found him, they couldn't see him._

_He would be killed if they did._

_Although in his mind only remained the memory of him failing his daughter again. He had allowed the creation of a worthless copy of her and more than that._

_He had allowed something much worse, something that was now also part of him._

I'm sorry…

_**End of Flashback**_

"So that's what happened…" she whispered.

"Yes, exactly that…" Yachi whispered.

Fate could understand that Yachi's madness was merely the product from the pain of losing Alicia and the brutal mixture with the virus.

It was the tragic story of a father.

"I…" Fate began.

Then they felt it, energy waves coming from around them, as if… it couldn't be, was that possible?

_Fate-sama!_

_Fate-sama!_

Fate looked around her, all those affected by the virus standing there, in front of her, clamoring her as their master, asking for their salvation.

She could get what they so longed for.

She could see the Hückebein, Thoma, and a lot of people she didn't know, in front of her, with their hands up, their lives waiting for the decision that she should make.

But she didn't know what to do.

_Helping then would end this madness, it would even… help Yachi…_

_But… Nanoha, Vivio… I don't want to leave them…_

Then she saw a light, someone was flying towards them, someone she knew well, it was Erio and he was flying straight to her.

"Fate!" the boy cried.

He summoned Strada and looked up with tears in his eyes at his teacher as she finally understood what had to happen, whether she liked it or not.

This was not her decision.

_It's all right, Erio… do what has to be done…_

The boy clenched his teeth as Strada switched to Drei form and he closed his eyes summoning all his power.

_I'm sorry, Fate-san…_

_I'm sorry…_

_Sorry…_

_Sorr…_

_Sor…_

…

The virus grew stronger within him, as if commanding him to kill his main enemy and he opened his eyes shining with power as he yelled…

"Thunder Blade!"

* * *

Nanoha had flown with everyone else as fast as possible, trying to get there in time to save Fate.

They had waited for Sham, Yuuno, and the other cadets, then they had planned a strategy to enter the base and look for a coherent solution that didn't kill Fate…

No, she couldn't even think about it.

Yuuno had searcher for the base upon arrival and, thanks to him they had found the exact location and a way to get in without being seen.

"All right, we're going in" Hayate whispered.

The entire team entered through the blind spot that Yuuno had described, luckily, mostly everyone would have their attention of Fate and no one would notice their entry until it was too late.

"Hayate…" Signum whispered.

Hayate turned to see the same thing Signum was seeing, it was a trail of blood leading to a body that remained perfectly still.

One that Lily immediately recognized.

"It's… it's Fortis… the leader of the Hückebein…" the girl whispered.

Nanoha looked in amazement at the body of the man lying there, on the floor, with clear signs of murder.

Her heart was screaming to look for Fate…

To find her…

"Fate-chan…" Nanoha whispered.

_Fate-sama…_

Everyone turned to see Lily, now with lifeless eyes and walking towards the main hall, where more noises could be heard.

_Fate-sama…_

Almost unconsciously Nanoha followed Lily while the other continued their way more cautious and prepared for any attack.

_Fate-sama…_

Lily stopped in front of door leading to the room and hit it, rapidly changing to a state of incomprehensible rage.

A rage so strong that she broke the door in half.

_Fate-sama!_

Nanoha stepped in just in time to catch a Lily who had suddenly lost all her strength and fainted.

"Lily…" Nanoha whispered.

Then she looked around her, people laying on the ground unconscious, almost as if they had no life, almost as if…

"My god…" whispered Shamal.

"We're late…" Vita said.

"I can't believe it…" Signum said.

"No… no…" Hayate cried.

Nanoha looked where the others were looking and what she saw left her speechless, it left her so cold inside that she looked like a piece of glass.

_Fate-chan…_

_Fate-chan…_

She was there, her beautiful blond hair stained with blood, her broken body on the floor and her eyes empty.

_It's a nightmare…_

_Please…_

_It's just a nightmare…_

And then, Yuuno approached her, put a hand on her shoulder and let his tears fall on it like drops of fire.

"Nanoha… we have to…" Yuuno whispered.

She shook her head, she couldn't hear it…

She didn't want to.

"I'm sorry, Nanoha" he whispered.

And suddenly, everything stopped making sense to her, her worlds was shattered into pieces and a single tear fell from her eyes.

_I love you…_


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Yuuno slowly approached Fate's body, knowing the little time he had to use her linker core and try to save the rest of the artificial mages which were now sound asleep, among them Erio and Lily…

_Focus, Yuuno, and do it fast…_

He shook his head a little to clear up the few doubts he had and knelt beside Fate's body, getting a better view of what had happened to her.

Her body looked like a heavy sack with a larger red spot in the center, her beautiful face made it seemed as if she was only sleeping and her golden hair rested around her with traces of red in some parts of it.

It was a beautiful and devastating sight…

He opened his book and began to read on how he should carry out the procedure to cause the least possible damage to Fate's body and started taking out the necessary tools to accomplish the task he had come to do.

Or at least until a strong force push him away from Fate.

"Nanoha…" he sighed.

Before him, Nanoha hugged Fate's lifeless body, her face hidden in the blonde's neck and from that distance, Yuuno could see Nanoha's bitter tears fall on Fate's neck and slid down to her chest.

And suddenly, he realized that what they had was more than friendship and the love they showed for each other.

They were, what only a few believed in, soul mates.

"Do not touch her…" Nanoha whispered.

He understood, he understood so well that for a moment he was about to drop his book and tools and leave all those beings as they were.

But he couldn't, he couldn't leave it like that, because deep down he knew, she wouldn't want it either …

_Do what you must…_

"Nanoha, if I don't do it they…" Yuuno started.

"I don't care, I won't let you touch her." She whispered.

Yuuno was about to answer back when he felt the presence of people around him and saw Signum, Vita and Hayate by his side while Caro, Subaru and Teanna remained alert behind them.

_What is this?_

"I don't want to hurt you." Nanoha said.

"Neither do we, Nanoha…" Hayate whispered with tears still in her eyes. "… But Yuuno has to do this and save the others."

"No!" Nanoha yelled. "I won't let you hurt her."

"Please, Nanoha-san…" Caro whispered.

Nanoha shook her head in denial, she didn't want her Fate to suffer any more than what she had already suffered through her whole life, she deserved the peace that her face gave off now.

_I wanted to make you happy…_

She pushed some strands of hair away from Fate's calm face, if it wasn't for the evidence of what had happened, she could swear she was asleep and waiting for a kiss to awake her.

_Did I ever tell you, you were my most important person?_

Fate had always said that people wouldn't cry for her because she came from a creation designed by two people full of evil, she saw herself as something she could never be, she was just a replacement.

But when raising her head and looking at her friends, Nanoha knew that no one ever thought like that, Hayate and Shamal were crying, just like Caro, Subaru and Teanna, Signum tried to look serious and failed miserably to contain her rage at the loss of a friend and Vita… Vita simply hid her emotions.

Sanderson would probably be devastated when he gets the news. Yuuno didn't seem relieved to have finally finished with the Hückebein nightmare.

She didn't want to know what would happen to her little Vivio without her Fate-mama to look up to.

And she couldn't even think about what was going to be of her from now on, without her most important person.

"Nanoha… please…" Hayate begged.

Nanoha's tears fell nonstop because she knew she had no other choice, she had to let her go but didn't want to, she didn't want to let go of her everything, her world, she didn't want to see how they took away her life a second time.

"I don't want to…" Nanoha whispered. "… I don't want to, Hayate."

Her friend nodded, letting her know that she didn't want to either, but like always, it didn't matter what they wanted, the world would continue to be cruel and claim its duty over their wishes.

Yuuno approached her again with Hayate by his side and the two slowly, pulled away Fate's body from Nanoha's arms, which seemed to run out of life.

"Yuuno… do it fast." Hayate whispered.

"I'll try…" he answered.

Hayate nodded and approached Nanoha to hug her, even if she knew she wouldn't return it, she felt the need to comfort her.

_I knew I should have tied you to your bed so you wouldn't have started this madness…_

And she smiled, when her own mind formulated the answer that Fate would have given to such statement…

_**You would have tied me to the bed to offer me to Nanoha…**_

"Idiot…" Hayate whispered.

She watched Yuuno once again place himself in front of Fate, read the book at his side and slowly, start to remove her linker core.

Yuuno sighed as he opened the top of Fate's uniform and summoned his magic to remove the linker core, slowly…

And then, just as the book had said, Fate's body began to convulse in response to his threat but he didn't stop, he continued with what he was doing despite seeing new blood drops appear in the mouth and wounds of the Enforcer.

_A little more…_

"Stop! Please, Stop!" Nanoha cried.

Yuuno stopped for a moment to watch Nanoha, totally desperate while Hayate, alongside Signum and Vita, held her in an attempt to let him finish what he was doing.

_I'm sorry, Nanoha…_

He looked back at Fate's body and closed his eyes, concentrating all this power in removing her linker core, despite the seizures and the blood.

_I'm sorry, Fate…_

"Give me her soul, her light and her life…" Yuuno finally whispered.

Then the light completely disappeared from Fate's body, to reappear in the shape of a crystal that Yuuno had never seen.

The crystal seemed to be fighting its own battle between good and evil.

"Quick, we have to get the antidote." Shamal said.

Yuuno nodded quickly after recovering from the initial shock and started to separate virus and the antidote in the only way he knew.

"Are you going to…" He heard Shamal.

He closed his eyes and hit the linker core with a special tool, splitting it right down the middle, separating the antidote form the virus.

He grabbed the part with the antidote while Teanna and Subaru secured the virus in a clod safe that Shamal had brought. He stood in the center of the room where he raised the white crystal with his hand.

_I shouldn't be the one doing this…_

Then he felt a warm presence beside him, hands caressing the crystal he was holding and he smiled through tears seeing those famous blond locks flying above him.

"Thanks… Fate…" he finally whispered.

He saw Nanoha once again holding Fate's body, Hayate hugging her, even Signum and Vita were at her side and his determination grew stronger.

_Your loss won't be in vain…_

Because with it, they would save Erio, Lily and her partner, all the innocent people involved in this because of crazy man, the Hückebein…

And the same crazy man that in the end, had caused everything…

_No… I definitely won't let it be in vain…_

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and called Fate in his mind to help him finish the work she had started.

_Give me your power…_

"Magical crystal, you who give life to artificial mages, give me the power to save them now from the hands of evil, give me the strength to honor a sacrifice…" He slowly whispered. "… Save these mages, save this humanity and give back their lives…"

Then the crystal began to glow casting small rays of white light over all the affected mages, who slowly began to wake up.

"What happened?" Thoma asked.

"Thoma!" Lily cried.

The girl threw herself into his arms as he caught her with a smile, they seemed to be fine, he was fine.

"Are you alright?" asked the boy.

"Yes… yes I'm perfectly fine." She answered.

He smiled, looking straight ahead until he saw the body being hugged by a girl, it was the body of his friend.

"Fate…" He whispered.

Lily also looked at the same direction and felt her eyes full with tears. In the end what they had feared most, had come true and their salvation had cost an important life.

"Shit…" Thoma whispered.

Lily just hugged him and cried in his chest, remembering the memories they had created with Fate, she would never forget them, never…

"Erio!" Caro cried.

Erio opened his eyes to find himself being attacked by Caro's embrace. Not understanding anything he hugged her back, at least until he remembered what he had done…

He had killed her…

_No…_

_Not her…_

"Erio?" Caro asked.

"Fate-san…" The boy whispered.

And Caro hugged him regardless of him trying to push her away until the tears were stronger than the pain.

"Caro… It was me…" He whispered.

She simply hugged him tighter, because even though she wouldn't admit it, he had just ended a life that was destined to end sooner or later.

Yachi awoke not understanding what had happened, he no longer had the power from before but at least he gotten rid of his daughter's copy, that would help him live.

_Finally, Alicia…_

"You!" A voice cried.

Yachi found himself been hit against the wall by the strong power of one of the Hückebein, who was holding him by the neck.

It was a girl, to be more specific, who did nothing but try to control her anger and bitter tears cause by her loss…

"You took Fortis away from me…" She whispered.

Yachi looked away, Fortis had only been an instrument used to defeat Fate and had fulfilled his task perfectly, so he hadn't hesitated to get rid of him when he had the chance.

He had never imagined someone would actually miss him.

"He was no longer of use." Yachi whispered.

Curren's anger only seemed to increase. The first thing she saw upon leaving the room had been the bleeding body of Fortis before her.

And that was more than she could withstand.

"I'll kill you for it." She said.

"I doubt it." He answered.

He was still weak and he suspected her to be the same, so in a moment of distraction, he hit her and ran towards the dark part of the crystal that Subaru and Teanna had secured.

"It's mine!" He yelled.

Before anyone could do anything, Yachi and the part of the linker core with the virus had disappeared from sight.

"Damn it…" DeVille whispered.

Then, behind all of them, a figure rose with a body in her arms, giving off a strong pink light and with eyes filled with one single desire, revenge.

Nanoha Takamachi would go hunting that day and no one could stop her.


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 **

_Stop her!_

_No! Don't let her go!_

_Please stop! Don't leave you too!_

The voices echoed around her, everything was annoying noises between screams and cries, but there was no one, not a single living being.

She was alone…

_Am I dead?_

Far from her, a light and a shadow darker than the night, made themselves stronger on both sides of her, letting her know that they were her only choices at that time.

But… what were those choices?

_I did it! I killed her! Kill me too!_

She covered her ears not understanding. She didn't want to hear more voices and despite that she was there, listening to heartbreaking cries and accusations for something no one was to blame.

_I could, but you're not my goal._

That voice… she knew it, it was a familiar voice yet it seemed so odd, so far away from the one she loved so much.

She didn't think it was really her…

_Please… just finish with my suffering._

The other voice… she also knew it, it was a boy, someone now destroyed by the circumstances, someone she could recognize.

Erio?

The boy continued crying incessantly, begging for someone to finish what he had caused, for someone to take away that mark that hurt him so much.

That of a murderer.

_It's your fault, you must carry it…_

Again that voice… a voice so harsh and so out of the person she knew, that she didn't know if it was the same person…

The one she had always loved, the only one that could turn her world back to normal with a smile.

_Nanoha! Get a hold of yourself!_

Nanoha…

Nano…

Na…

* * *

Hayate couldn't believe she was about to lose another friend because of Tomura Yachi and the damn virus.

It hadn't been enough with losing Fate, and now Nanoha was plunged into such a depression that she wasn't able to reach her and made her stop.

_If only Fate had not died…_

Tears made their way in her eyes recalling the cruel fate that her friend had to go through, one for which she might have been ready…

But that for the other had been a too hard hit.

"Nanoha-chan, please…" She whispered to her friend.

Nanoha was completely out of herself, there was nothing left of that innocent young girl full of joy that only thought in justice and in her family and friends, that girl who gave everything for them.

Now she only saw a girl full of hatred and resentment towards the murderer of her most precious person, a hatred that would only be ceased with blood.

Yachi's blood.

And though Hayate was tempted to just let her go and fix things her way, she also knew that it wouldn't bring anything but more misery.

"I have to find him…" Whispered Nanoha.

Hayate looked up to see Nanoha's violent eyes, eyes that she had never seen before, loaded with something completely different from what she was used to see in them.

Hatred…

Despair…

And something that broke Hayate's heart in two.

Sadness…

"Nanoha, she wouldn't have wanted you to do that…" She whispered through tears.

Nanoha's look changed to one of pain, one so crude that Hayate mentally slapped herself for saying that phrase in the face of her friend knowing the effect it could have.

_I'm sorry, Nanoha-chan…_

"She…" Nanoha whispered.

"Fate-chan, she wanted to stop it Nanoha, she wanted to save everyone and so…" Hayate sobbed.

Nanoha held her pained expression and walked briskly towards Hayate, without lowering her power, without even trying to contain her rage.

"She abandoned me… I made her leave me… I was the selfish one from the beginning, so she left me…" Nanoha whispered.

And suddenly, Hayate felt her whole world collapse, because she finally understood that Nanoha's anger was not only towards Yachi.

It was towards herself for losing Fate, though she was not blame for anything.

"Oh, Nanoha…" Hayate whispered.

Nanoha ran a hand over her face getting rid of the retained tears and returned to her previous state watching her friend's eyes.

Guilt was never a good adviser…

"Don't go…" Hayate told her.

"It's too late…" Nanoha whispered. "…without her I'm already gone…"

Hayate couldn't stop her when Nanoha took flight and left before her eyes, she couldn't because she could finally understand the complex of the relationship between her two best friends.

They were Nanoha and Fate…

Fate and Nanoha…

And neither could exist if the other was not by her side.

* * *

Nanoha let her desire of revenge take her where she should go, where she had to kill the one who had stolen her precious treasure.

_Fate-chan…_

Thinking about the simple fact that her blonde hair would no longer mix with her own, made her shiver.

She needed her…

Why? Why did she have to go through all that?

_I love you… with my whole being…_

Nanoha reached for her heart, which seemed to only bleed since Fate had left her side. Her body, something she had always adored, now destroyed on the floor of the Hückebein's base, lifeless, soulless…

_If I had been better…_

She dried her tears from her eyes, looking at Raising Heart in her right hand, shining with its strong pink light, her heart full of rage and grief giving it the strength to feed from.

And in her left hand…

_Bardiche…_

Fate's precious device, something she was going to take to a crucial battle in her life, to finally finish with the being who had stolen the most precious thing of her existence.

_Help me, Bardiche…_

The device shone and Nanoha grabbed it tightly as she located her enemy, finding it almost instantly.

_Yachi…_

Her power increased, her rage grew stronger as she approached her final battle, making her heart beat faster and faster before the imminent end.

He had fought in revenge of a lost daughter…

She would fight for the loss of her love…

And the two were to meet halfway between hatred, sadness and memories, where only one of them would emerge victorious.

Too bad that the prospect of winning was no longer enough for either of them.

* * *

Yachi breathed, he could feel the anger of the woman coming in waves toward him as he held the virus in his hands.

He had a feeling it wouldn't be enough, not against her…

_I'm coming for you, Yachi…_

Her simple voice was scary and even more the power shining in each of her devices, each designed to do exactly what she was had in mind.

Kill him.

_Alicia…_

He heard the sound of the falling wall and saw the most terrifying scene of his life when he look at the powerful girl approaching him with fury in her eyes.

He was going to die, he was sure of it.

"Yachi…" Nanoha whispered. "… I've come for you."

That was the voice of revenge.

"Then, come." He whispered.

The black light engulfed Yachi while the pink one wrapped Nanoha creating a whirl of colors that collided with great power.

The battle had started.

* * *

Hayate looked at Fate's body, still on the floor after Nanoha left it there and she approached it to touch her friend's hair.

_It's so unfair…_

"What's going on?" Asked a voice.

"No way…" Thoma whispered.

"Oh god…" Lily said.

Hayate looked toward the light that everyone was looking at when she felt a strong wave of power coming from Fate's split linker core.

An immense power…

A will to fight…

_Help!_

Hayate opened her eyes wide when she heard that voice, so familiar, so impossible…

_Fate?_

She looked again at Fate's body and suddenly felt her book starting to glow beneath her hands, suddenly opening to show a single page…

_**Linker Core Reconstruction.**_


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

_Don't worry, I'll protect you…_

_No, you can't._

_What? Why?_

_Because I will be the one to end your life…_

"No!" He yelled.

Erio snapped his eyes open with his heart still beating hard in his chest, the dream once again haunted him and the consequences of what he had done were still etched in his mind.

He couldn't forgive himself, he couldn't think…

"Erio?" Caro asked.

The girl got up from her bed and went straight to him with a worried face, one that he was accustomed to see, but didn't like.

She should hate him, not be comforting him.

"Get away from me, Caro." He whispered to his companion.

But instead of doing as he said, she moved closer, got into his bed with him and looked at him with a fury that Erio had never seen in her.

"No… I'm not leaving you." She said decisively.

"Why?" He asked in a whisper. "… I killed her."

And as soon as the words left his lips, a loud sound was heard in the air at the same time that he felt the sting of burning pain in his cheek.

Caro had slapped him.

"Idiot!" The girl cried.

Erio couldn't understand the reason for her behavior, she should hate him, kill him just as he had done with Fate, their friend, their teacher…

"It's not your fault!" Caro cried. "… She knew that was the only solution to cure you and so she let herself be killed, or do you really think you're stronger than her?" She asked angrily.

"What?" Erio whispered.

"She always knew it, Erio and it was her decision to be killed by the virus that led you to attack her, she knew it." Caro sobbed.

And then Erio remembered it, that moment, before her death, Fate's words in his mind, her eyes…

_It's all right, Erio… do what has to be done…_

What had to be done… He had to do what had to be done, she had chosen him to end her life, to give them their freedom.

"Don't despise the gift she gave you." Caro whispered in his arms.

Erio looked at his hand, finally understanding the new perspective, knowing that he had not been the executer, but just another victim, that he had not been the one at fault for Fate's death but rather she had been his savior, everyone's.

_Thank you, Fate-san…_

He hugged Caro with a small smile as he noticed that they were no longer in the main room of the Hückebein's base, but in another room.

"Let's go find Nanoha-san." Caro whispered.

Then Erio remembered what Nanoha was doing. Fighting against Yachi, the cause of all of their problems, and felt his blood boil while Caro stopped him with her body.

"Let me go get him." Erio whispered.

"No…" She answered.

And, although he didn't understand, he decided it was best to what she said, because even if he wanted, he couldn't help Nanoha in such a personal revenge.

_I just hope not to lose her too…_

* * *

Hayate looked over and over the pages of her book, pages she had never seen before, it was as if the book itself was answering her wish to bring Fate back to life and was showing her a lesson.

"We knew that book was important, but not to what extent." Thoma whispered.

Hayate looked at the boy, who along with Lily, Shamal and Yuuno, tried to figure out how to make the reconstruction of Fate's linker core without damaging anything inside her body.

A task that wasn't easy at all.

"Here it is." Yuuno whispered. "… these words are the key but I can't find their exact meaning."

Hayate looked at what he was pointing, written words that she felt were vital, one sentence that could change the course of everything.

"_In perfecta tristitia, tres sapientes salvus contritum cor."_

And suddenly, almost without noticing, Hayate saw the letters changing their order before her, reacting to her wishes and what her heart scream for.

"Yuuno." Hayate whispered. " … I know what it says."

Yuuno stared at her in disbelief and called Lily and Thoma while Shamal kept Fate's body in good condition until they figured out how to get her back.

"Hayate, it's ancient Latin" Thoma said.

"But I can read it." She said.

Lily stood beside her and breathing heavily she looked at her with confidence as she squeezed her hand in support.

"What does it say?" She whispered.

Hayate looked back at the book, the words echoing in her mind, in her heart, she had the key to saving Fate.

"In the most complete sadness, three mages will save the shattered heart." Hayate whispered.

The four looked at each other, understanding what the book meant when the door opened and Erio with Caro, entered the room.

They had the solution and the protagonists, now they only needed to know what to do.

* * *

_I have to get out of here…_

Fate walked aimlessly through a forest full of yellow and purple flowers, where the sun was shining brightly and happiness seemed to live in every corner but she was far from happy.

She needed her family to be happy again.

"Alicia!"

Fate quickly turned her head to see a little blonde girl running to a couple who laughed happily looking at their little girl.

She, was Precia…

He, Yachi…

_What is this?_

"Dad! Carry me on your shoulder!" The girl yelled.

Yachi smiled and raised his daughter to his shoulders to carry her while the family happily walked through the woods.

_I didn't have something like that…_

Fate felt a tear roll down her cheek as she remembered her own childhood and all that she had.

Everything that had been denied until Nanoha.

_I have to fight, for her, for Vivio…_

She was going to go back home, she had to, to have that same experience with them, she had to do it because now, she understood much better what Yachi felt.

He looked so happy…

"Fate, save my father…" A voice whispered.

Fate turned to see Alicia herself in front of her, her eyes filled with tears and despair.

"Please Fate, save him." She said again.

And suddenly, Alicia disappeared and Fate began to be pulled by a strong force that she couldn't see while listening to strange words.

_**Excitate victimae gaudio revertatur Morbi quis furatus diesrevertimini ad RECENS qui expectant te appello… puteus…**_

_**Tres magi artificialis**_

The light wrapped her and Fate could see nothing, she could only feel her body being dragged to a place she didn't know.

_Nanoha…_

* * *

**A/N: **Just for the curious people who are wondering what all those weird words mean, well here it is: "Awaken sacrifice, join us and return the joy that one day was stolen from us, come back to those who call for you, come back to those who wait for you… we call for you...

The three artificial mages."


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N: **Hey people, well I just wanted to explain something that might no have been made clear in the previous chapters. The three mages that help save Fate are Erio, Thoma and Lily. I thought everyone already knew that Thoma and Lily were artificial mages but from some reviews I got, I can see that not everyone knew so yeah that was all I wanted to say. Now please go head and read, I hope you like it and please review, let me know what you think. :D

* * *

**Chapter 20**

_Nanoha…_

"Fate-chan?" Nanoha whispered.

"Dark Shadow!" Yachi shouted.

Nanoha barely had time to block Yachi's attack while her heart was beating rapidly from what she had heard.

Fate had called for her…

"What's wrong Takamachi? Are you still thinking about that monster?" Yachi asked.

Nanoha glared at him before launching at him using Raising Heart to block his attacks.

"Barrier Burst!" She shouted.

Yachi seemed surprised by her defense, so much that Nanoha saw a chance to attack with Bardiche.

"Plasma Lancer!" Nanoha then shouted.

Yachi got hit by the power of the attack and sent flying away from her while she breathed heavily.

She didn't know how, but Bardiche had given her the power to use all the spells that Fate knew.

_It would be so easy to finish him now…_

She wanted to do it, she had to, for all those who he had hurt. She approached him, with every intension to get rid of the person who had taken everything from her, to make him pay.

_Fate-chan…_

Tears fell from her eyes, Fate was everything to her, she loved her, she loved her much more than what words could express, and she had lost her.

_I'm really going to miss you…_

She would miss everything, from her blonde hair mingling with hers to her soft breathing while sleeping and the small smile that always appeared on her face as she dreamed.

_Last night, in your sleep you seemed happy._

_I did?_

_Yes, what were you dreaming about?_

_About you, Vivio and me._

"You took her from me…" She whispered to Yachi.

Yachi looked at her, the pain so raw in her face that he could almost feel it, because that pain was the same he had felt with Alicia's loss.

A pain that even now was still not gone.

He saw Nanoha lift Fate's device to finish him and he close his eyes, waiting for his cruel end.

* * *

"Nanoha" cried a voice.

She had made it…

Signum sighed when she saw that she had made it in time to stop Nanoha from striking the final blow on Yachi, but she knew that was still not enough.

Since now, she had to convince her to leave it in her and Vita's hands so they could bring him to justice and Nanoha could go to a more important place when she was needed.

"Signum…" Nanoha whispered.

"Nanoha, stop, you can't do it." Vita said besides Signum.

The girl understood Nanoha's vision was not like theirs, she craved vengeance for what had happened with Fate, but she had to stop.

Otherwise she would regret it all her life.

"Yes I can, just as he took Fate-chan from me." Nanoha whispered.

"No, Nanoha, you have to stop or you'll end up hurting yourself and Vivio…" Signum started.

"She has already lost one mother, don't let her lose the other." Vita finished.

It was despicable, yes, but reason started to sink in Nanoha and that was everything she needed at that moment.

"No, she…" Nanoha tried to say.

"She needs you and she's not the only one." Signum cut her.

Nanoha looked at her not understanding and it was then that Signum dared to approach Yachi and secure him while Vita hugged Nanoha.

"Go back with Hayate…" The redhead smiled. "… she has something for you."

Nanoha didn't understand anything, but her heart was beating too fast, as if something important was coming and she had no idea what it was.

But…

"There can't be anything important for me without her." Nanoha whispered.

Vita looked at her, almost wanting to tell her about it right there, but she knew she shouldn't.

The best reunions were the least expected.

"Go, just do it." She finally said.

Nanoha nodded slowly taking one last look at Yachi who looked back, with something more than just hatred, but also sadness.

He had lost…

They both had.

And though he was going to have a worse luck than her, she knew that deep down, even if it had been for just a second, they both had walked down the same road.

The one towards perdition.

* * *

Hayate waited outside the room while Shamal and Yuuno kept on performing tests. Nervous, the commander paced throw hall while Thoma, Lily and Erio watched her with some confusion.

They had followed the damn book and now they weren't sure what had happened.

"I have a headache…" She muttered to herself.

It was very hard to know what was going to happen from now on. What was it that they had done for it to come out like that?

How had they succeeded on one thing and failed on the other?

Hayate closed her eyes, she didn't even want to imagine what would happen when she explained it to Sanderson, he would surely yell at her and then help her find a solution.

Nothing compared to what would become of her when Nanoha found out.

_She's going to kill me…_

Then she heard footsteps slowly coming from another room and her heart suddenly sank.

Signum and Vita had succeeded?

It had seemed crazy at first, but when Vita said with confidence that they could do it if they acted on cue, Hayate had known they were right.

After all, Nanoha wasn't a killer.

The door to the waiting room opened and Nanoha appeared still in her combat uniform.

Still with that defeated look in her eyes that stabbed her soul.

_Calm down, Hayate…_

"Hayate…" Nanoha whispered.

"Nanoha, thank god." Hayate said.

Hayate hugged her with tears in her eyes, by the look her eyes she knew that Nanoha had not done what she intended and Signum and Vita had arrived in time.

Thank god for that.

"_I still don't know who you all are..._" A voice was heard from the other room.

Nanoha pulled away from Hayate and before she could do anything, she saw how her friend pulled the door wide open to look at what Nanoha thought was another game from her mind.

But it wasn't, she was there.

_Fate-chan…_

"Fate-chan!" Nanoha cried.

The blonde turned her gaze to the person who had yelled and barely had time to prepare for the embrace in which she was wrapped.

Before she could anything, she had a person on top of her crying and clinging to her like a lifeline.

But…

"Hey." Said the blonde.

Nanoha smiled as she raised her eyes and met Fate's confused look and who also made efforts to separate from her.

"Fate-cha?" Nanoha asked.

"Nanoha… you see…" Hayate said.

The blonde looked at Nanoha and then at the others before returning her gaze to Nanoha more confused than before.

"Who are you and why are you calling me Fate-chan?" She asked blankly.


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Nanoha couldn't believe it…

Fate was looking at her as if she were a complete stranger, she, who had been her best friend since they were nine.

Who she had secretly loved that whole time.

"Fate?" Nanoha asked felling her voice failing.

"Fate? Who's Fate?" Asked the blonde.

Her heart sank when she heard those questions, could it really be possible that she had forgotten everything?

No, she couldn't have forgotten about her. Karma couldn't be playing that kind of trick on her. Nanoha breathed deeply and looked at the pair of burgundy eyes that seemed to be sacred…

Scared of them, of her…

_No, I would never make her feel scared…_

"I'm Nanoha…" The brunette whispered.

The blonde frowned before moving her head slightly, as if thinking about it and Nanoha's hopes soared inside her chest.

She would remember her, her Fate-chan would remember her.

"Sorry…" Said the blonde suddenly. "… but I don't remember any Nanoha."

Nanoha felt the surprise from the others who accompanied her in the room, since they also had the same hopes that Fate would remember everything with Nanoha's presence.

But unfortunately, it didn't happen.

"By the way…" The blonde said after a few seconds of silence. "Who's Fate…?"

With Nanoha at the verge of tears and Hayate too confused to answer, Yuuno cleared his throat, stepping forward to answer the obvious.

"It's…" He sighed, unsure. "… You."

He didn't know which of the two was more surprised, if Fate by hearing Yuuno's statement or Yuuno by the surprise on Fate's face.

"No…" Said the blonde. "… I'm not Fate."

Nanoha swallowed her tears, needing to know who she thought she was and praying that everything was nothing but just a dream.

"No?" She sighed. "… Then, who are you?"

Fate's eyes were filled with confidence and pride as a small smile appeared on her face, finally she could clarify that misunderstanding and go home.

"I'm Alicia…" She said convinced. "… Alicia Testarossa."

* * *

_A week later, Mid-Childa's Maximum Security Prison_

He hit the wall again and again, not caring that his hands ached, not caring that his whole body ached.

She was alive, he didn't know how, but she was alive and his revenge had been useless.

_Alicia…_

Tears filled his eyes as he remembered how he hadn't even managed to fulfill the last promise he had made to his beloved daughter.

He hadn't eliminated her copy.

And he knew it thanks to a big mouthed guard who had let know several prisoners that the great Fate Testarossa Harlaown had returned from her long mission accompanied by her team and family.

_Her family… which should have been Alicia's…_

"I'm sorry…" He whispered to the wall.

He felt like crap, a man without a future and with a past too full of guilt to be true, a man who had failed to the only good thing in his life.

And he didn't even have the power to take his own life.

"I wish I could be with you, Alicia…" He whispered.

_Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…._

A small whisper entered his ears making Yachi jump straight up from the ground. It was something dark, something terrifying.

_Ta…ke… me…_

Yachi looked at the floor of his cell and saw small purple marks, marks that showed a path.

_Come… dark… heart…_

Yachi rolled his eyes when the seductive power that called him became stronger than his will and felt the need to get out of that hole.

He needed that power.

_I need to get rid of all those who've hurt me…_

And with that thought in mind, he started thinking of way to get to that power and seal a new fate and era that he himself would bring upon that city.

An era of terror and where everyone would pay the same price as his beloved daughter.

_You'll have an entire empire name after you, my little Alicia._

* * *

Yuuno sighed again looking at the book and notes that Hayate had given him to try to return Fate's memories.

"Drink this, it'll help." Said a voice behind him.

Lily smiled as she put the cup of coffee on the desk and sat next to him to also look at Hayate's book.

"Do you think it was us?" Asked the girl.

"I don't know…" Yuuno answered. "… It doesn't seem to be our fault, but still, there are things that bother me."

"Like what?" Lily asked.

"Like the fact that one of us didn't have enough energy to use the spell that would bring Fate back to life." Said another voice behind them.

Thoma Avenir watched them from the doorway, his eyes cold and dark running up and down Lily's body, making her feel cold inside.

"You're probably right, but who?" Yuuno asked.

"Me…" The boy simply said.

Lily and Yuuno looked puzzled by Thoma's statement, who was still watching them but this time his eyes showed sadness, so immense that it made Lily's heart tremble in fear.

Something was wrong, too wrong.

"Thoma?" Asked the girl.

"The virus… it didn't completely disappear from me, Lily." He whispered.

Yuuno looked at him in surprise while Thoma took off his shirt and showed them the mark of the virus still on his body.

It was killing him.

"No… no…" Lily whispered. "… Why?" She asked not understanding.

Thoma sighed, he hated making the person most important for him cry, but he had known since the moment he had used the spell to save Fate, that he had little time left.

And he knew it was time to tell the truth.

"Lily…" He whispered looking at his partner.

He loved her and had realized it way too late, too damn late for him.

"I'm a creation just like Fate." He said with tears in his eyes. "… I'm the son of Jail Scaglietti, the original carrier of the virus until the Project F arrived."

And in that instant, their whole world collapsed under their feet, leaving Yuuno to collect the pieces.

* * *

Alicia watched Vivio play with Sanderson in the garden of what now was her home, or at least that's what Nanoha and the others had made her believe, with a smile on her face.

She was totally adorable, but not more than the mother.

Alicia smiled remembering how Nanoha had treated her with so many attentions since she got installed in her house. She would bring her breakfast to her bed saying she was still weak form a battle she couldn't remember and would always make sure to make her company.

"What are you thinking about?" Nanoha asked sitting down beside her.

Alicia looked at her, for some reason Nanoha's company was vital for her and she seemed to need it more and more.

"I was thinking about…" Alicia said in a whisper. "… About you."

Nanoha smiled, though it wasn't a complete smile, it was normal enough to not worry Alicia and special enough for her to feel a little tug in her stomach.

_What's happening to me?_

"I hope it was something good, then." Nanoha said.

Alicia nodded getting lost for just a second in those blue eyes that absorbed her completely, before hearing Vivio's laughter and looking back at them to see Sanderson run after Vivio with the water hose on.

"It was…" She said without thinking.

Nanoha patted her hand causing Alicia to look back at her, once again locking their eyes.

And before neither could stop themselves, their lips had started to move closer, attracted by the warmth of the sun and the need screaming inside their bodies.

Their breaths mingled, making Alicia feel dizzy for a second before a sharp pain in her head cause her to move away from Nanoha exactly when their lips were mere inches apart.

"Fate-chan?" Nanoha said without thinking.

But Alicia wasn't able to answer or correct her because her head seemed to be bursting with images.

Images that she didn't recognized.

_Save him!_

_My precious daughter…_

_Dad, carry me on your shoulders!_

…

_ALICIA!_

The images stopped and Alicia looked at a worried Nanoha who stood beside her, holding her so she wouldn't fall.

"Alicia?" Nanoha asked worried.

"I have to… go." Alicia whispered.

And without another word, she went upstairs with the cold sweat running down her body and a clear image of her father in her mind.

"I have to find you, dad…" She whispered to herself.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay so I just wanted to clarify something, according to the author, Alicia really _is_ Fate but she doesn't remember, so i'm guessing that something is making Fate think she's Alicia, we'll find out later on, that's it for now, so thanks again for reading and please leave a review. :D


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"I don't… understand." Yuuno said.

Thoma remained silent sitting in a chair while trying to find the right words to explain what he was.

What they had done with him.

"Thoma… what are you talking about?" Lily asked.

He closed his eyes trying to push away the fear that arose in the girl's voice, if she was afraid of him, he didn't know what he would do.

"I…" He sighed. "… I was Jail Scaglietti's first project of an artificial mage, he created me from the cells of his younger brother and, just like Fate with Alicia, he gave me all the memories of his brother.

He looked at the floor, unable to look at his friends as he remembered the training sessions with Jail, how he forced him to become stronger and less human, until the day that everything changed.

"He kept me in a cage, day and night, hoping to make me stronger to use the new project he was developing, in me." He said.

"What… project?" Asked Yuuno.

"The virus." Whispered the boy.

Lily shook her head, she couldn't believe that her beloved Thoma was the original virus, she wouldn't believe it, never.

"But, you said that Project F appeared then, right?" Lily said.

"Yes… but first, Jail experimented with me. How to introduce the virus without destroying the virus, he wanted me to be what Fate was and made sure I knew it, he implanted the virus strains to grow in me and see how they reacted in a body…" He whispered trying to dispel the memories.

"And… what happened?" Yuuno asked unintentionally.

"The virus almost destroyed me, it consumed part of me and Jail had to restore me to become what you see now, after that he kicked me out and said I was useless… that I would always be alone because I was nothing but a useless dog." He whispered at the end.

He could feel the fear in Yuuno, fear of not knowing what he had in front, a mage… no, something much worse than he had just discovered.

He was a monster, a monster that shouldn't have existed.

"After that, I wandered the streets alone, aimlessly and not knowing what to do with what he had done to me…" He said looking at Lily. "… Until I found you."

Lily stared back before looking away, finally understanding so many aspect of their past and the surprising way in which they had met. Yuuno looked at the scene with a lot of attention, as if there was something more than just the strong friendship that united them, something unbreakable…

Something like what he had seen with Nanoha and Fate.

"How… How did you meet?" Yuuno asked.

Thoma smiled, for just a second a smile appeared on his face as the tears filled his eyes.

"I…" Lily whispered. "… I thought he was an angel…"

"And it turned out…" Thoma continued. "… that I was her demon."

Then Yuuno realized the truth of those two individual, a love born from circumstances that neither could control.

A love born from a virus that would eventually destroy them…

* * *

Alicia looked from side to side, making sure that no one would bother her as she searched for what she was looking for.

In the press room of the Unit Six, Alicia hoped to find any information related to her father, since in her dream, her father wore a uniform almost identical to hers it meant that they both belonged to the Administration Bureau.

"Let's see…" She whispered as she turned the pages of the officers' files.

One by one, the pictures didn't tell her anything, she couldn't remember any of them, at least until she saw the picture of a specific person.

It was Nanoha.

She smiled unintentionally, the days with her and Vivio were becoming increasingly pleasant and every time, she had a greater desire to spend more time with them and become part of their family.

She planned on trying, once she found her father.

She lightly touched Nanoha picture before proceeding with another file, this time, in the higher ups of the Bureau, in search of the familiar face she was looking for.

_You have to be here, Dad…_

She turned the pages, finding names like Carim Gracia and the very familiar ones of Lindy and Chrono Harlaown.

_Lindy? Chrono?_

She closed her eyes for a second as her head ached a little before turning the page and opening her eyes to see more pictures.

And then…

_Tomura Yachi_

"Dad…" Alicia whispered.

Tears covered her eyes as she touched the picture of her father. He was there, close to her, she just had to find him and then…

Then she would finally live a happy life.

* * *

Lily had left shortly after Thoma finished telling the whole truth about his origin, something that she had never asked about, she had never had the need to know.

Until now…

She couldn't believe that he was the person she had been looking for, the one responsible for her separation from her family for so long.

"Lily…" Thoma whispered from the door of her room.

She shivered, at that moment she didn't want to talk to him, she couldn't even look at him in the eyes without the feel of betrayal completely filling her.

He had lied to her… no, something much worse… he had turned her into a monster.

"Lily…" He tried again.

"Leave me alone!" She yelled.

She didn't want to see him, she wanted to hate him for what he had done to her, she wanted him to leave her and never come back again…

"I know I…" He began.

"You know nothing!" She yelled at him again.

She could hear Thoma sigh, his breathing slow at her door as his fist slammed into the wall.

"If I hadn't done it you would be dead." He said.

"I would have rather died than to be a monster… rather than leaving my family that I loved despite being an artificial mage." She said.

"I couldn't let that happen…" He said.

"Why?" She asked.

Thoma placed both hands on the wall and looked at the door, determined to tell her the truth about why he couldn't let her die at that moment, why he wanted to be a real angel for her.

"Because I've loved you since the moment I saw you." He whispered.

Lily looked at the door not being able to believe him, he loved her… loved her?, that couldn't be true, he didn't love her, he couldn't love her…

He couldn't turn her worst nightmare into a sweet dream.

"Leave…" She whispered.

"Lily…" He tried.

"Please… leave…" She said.

Thoma sighed, he turned around and started walking away aimlessly while two heavy tears rolled down his eyes.

That was the end.

_Goodbye, Lily…_

* * *

Shamal couldn't believe what Yuuno was telling her. Thoma's story revealed something terrible, yet…

"Do you think we could do it?" Yuuno asked.

"It's crazy…" She whispered.

What Yuuno wanted to do was a feat yet it was completely crazy, Nanoha wouldn't accept and Hayate wouldn't even let them get close to Fate.

But it was their only hope, she was sure of it.

"And you think that if Thoma tells us how Jail restored him, maybe we… can restore Fate's memories?" Asked the doctor.

"That's what I'm thinking." He said.

Nothing like that had been done in years, in fact, it was considered a crime to experiment with people either humans or mages, but that was their only hope of returning everything to normal.

It was their only way to bring Fate Testarossa Harlaown back.

"We won't get permission." Shamal said.

"Yes, if we know who to contact." Yuuno said.

Shamal could think of two names that would give them permission to perform that action, but she could also think of a thousand consequences if it didn't go well.

"Alicia won't want to…" Shamal said.

"We'll put her to sleep, so when she wakes up, she'll be Fate." Yuuno said.

Crime: Kidnapping a TSAB Enforcer who is your boss' best friend.

"Nanoha will kill us." Shamal answered.

"The prize is worth it." Yuuno answered back.

Stupidity: Enraging the White Devil.

"Hayate will send us to prison for the rest of our lives." Shamal sighed.

"At lest we won't die in the hands of Nanoha." Yuuno said finally.

Cowardice: Hiding from Nanoha with Hayate's punishment.

Shamal sighed, whatever the outcome was, Yuuno was determined to do what he wanted, with or without her help.

And for the sake of that operation, he needed her help.

"All right…" Shamal said. "… Where do we start?"

"We need Thoma…" Yuuno said already getting in contact with the boy.

Waiting, waiting, the two waited for Thoma to answer but that never happened and Yuuno started to get nervous.

"What's wrong?" Shamal asked.

Yuuno thought for a moment, realizing what had probably happened and the consequences that this brought for them.

Without Lily, Thoma wouldn't keep going…

And without Thoma, they couldn't try to recover Fate's memories.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, well, this story seems to be getting a little confusing, I wonder if the author has noticed that, or is it intentional? anyway, i think it's still interesting, but I have something to let all of you know. Next chapter is the last one that has been posted. I don't know why the author hasn't continued it yet, she usually don't take that long, but well let's hope that she actually continues it and doesn't leave it just like that. In any case I'll try to pm her to ask about it. So yeah, thanks for reading and please don't forget to review, we almost make it to 100, yay!. Okay then thank again and see ya later. :D


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Yuuno had asked him to find Thoma and bring him back home in order to help Fate, but for Erio, bringing Thoma home would be more than just a simple task.

"Where could he be?" He asked himself.

Thanks to the connection they had formed, he could feel the boy wherever he was, but apparently, Thoma was trying really hard to not be found.

And in a way, Erio also wanted to leave him alone.

He could understand his need to be alone now that he had been rejected by the person he cared most about, he himself would do the same if Caro did something like that to him, that's why he was grateful for every day he go to spend with her.

He smiled remembering that his dear friend should now be with Lily trying to give support and bring some peace to her insides.

She was an angel and he was glad to have her by his side.

Suddenly, the direction of his thoughts was changed when he felt Thoma's presence, strong and dangerous inside an abandoned factory in the middle of nowhere.

It was a mystery what pain could do to some people.

"Thoma!" Erio called upon entering the factory.

A wave of power shook him throwing him to the ground as grief became strong within him, something was wrong, terribly wrong.

"Thoma…" Erio whispered.

He managed to get up and walk to a pillar to lean on it while searching with his eyes for his friend, who didn't seem to be anywhere.

_Where are you?_

"Leave!" He heard Thoma yell.

Erio looked up where Thoma was surrounded by so much waves of electricity that he didn't even seem human.

He seemed like…

"I'm a monster…" Thoma whispered.

He was crying, his tears fell like small electrified drops as his body became overloaded with energy.

At that rate, Thoma would die…

"Stop!" Erio yelled.

"No… I must disappear." He said.

Erio squeezed Strada with his hand looking for some way to free his friend from the depression that was consuming him.

He had to do something…

"I'm sorry, Lily…" Thoma whispered.

"No! Thoma, wait!" Erio shouted.

Erio could do nothing but watch as the whole factory got wrapped by the light coming from Thoma's body.

_I'm really sorry, Lily…_

* * *

Nanoha was preparing dinner when a noise dragged her out of her happy state and made her go to the living room, where Vivio played with Fate.

"Fate-mama!" Vivio yelled.

Nanoha ran to where Vivio was hugging Fate while the blonde grabbed her head between her hands trying to withstand the intense waves of pain running though her.

"Fate-chan?!" Nanoha asked.

She knew she didn't like to be called Fate, but at that moment her heart wasn't thinking of Alicia Testarossa, it just thought about the concern she felt for Fate.

"It… hurts…" Fate whispered.

Nanoha bent down to hug Fate and although the blonde put resistance for a few seconds, she quickly calmed down within the embrace of her partner and the kisses she left on her hair.

"Don't worry… everything's okay…" Nanoha whispered.

She didn't know what was happening, but Fate was calming down and that was all she cared about, so she continued cradling her in her arms as she thought about her beautiful blonde and the pain she was experiencing.

Would there ever be an end to this?

"Mama…" Vivio worriedly whispered.

Nanoha caressed Vivio's head and made so room so that little girl could hug her mother as well while Fate slowly fell asleep in the arms of the ones that loved her most.

"We'll take care of you, mama…" Vivio whispered.

Nanoha smiled and stroked Fate's hair before looking at her daughter and stroking her cheek affectionately.

"That's right, honey, we'll take care of Fate-mama…" She whispered.

Because even though right now Fate wasn't being herself, Nanoha would fight to get her back beside her and show her the beauty of their future.

Very bright and with tons of love.

* * *

Caro entered Lily's dark room cautiously expecting to find her there.

And she did, in a corner of her room, crying and completely covered by the sheets of her bed.

"Lily…" Caro whispered.

Lily turned to the side, not wanting to see or hear anyone. The last few hours she had spent there, crying and regretting the harsh words she had said to Thoma.

But at that moment anger had take control of her and she had let it out against the person who, in the end, had only tried to protect her from death.

"Lily… everything will be okay." Caro said.

She closed her eyes, not wanting to hear words that she didn't even dare to believe, she had thrown Thoma out of her life with hatred, a hatred that was now nothing but sadness.

Without him she was nothing and it had taken her too long to realize it.

She needed Thoma Avenir like the air she breathed, she wanted him with her and although he had turned her into what she hated most, she wanted to go with him wherever he went.

She would be willing to be that, if it allowed her to be with him.

Caro stroked the sheet just when her intercom rang with Erio's incoming call as urgent.

"Erio?" Caro asked.

"_Caro, tell Shamal-san and Yuuno-kun to prepare the emergency room…" She heard over the intercom. "…it's Thoma… he's…"_

Interference cut the call and Caro hurried to send the message to Shamal and Yuuno as she watched Lily's worried look.

That couldn't be good.

"Thoma…" Lily whispered.

She had taken the sheets off of her and was looking at Caro hoping it was nothing but a joke, that Thoma was okay and everything was just a lie to make her talk to him.

But Caro's face showed her that is want' a joke, it was true and she could feel the pain shattering her heart.

If she lost him, she…

"Let's go…" Caro said urgently.

She nodded before the two went out running towards the emergency room where they hoped to see Erio coming with Thoma and see what was happening.

_I… love you, too…_

* * *

Yachi could feel it, the power he craved for had gotten stronger, to the point of being able to more towards him with ease.

_One of them is gone…_

The voice whispered with joy which made him feel good, he would have the upper hand in the battle that was to come and nobody could stop him.

When the world was finally his, he would give Alicia everything she should have gotten, all the richness and love he had failed to give her in life.

He would give her in death.

_Yachi… it's time…_

Yachi watch as the dark power rose above him and he opened his arms happily receiving it, putting an end to his despair.

_Now… Alicia…_

_No! Dad!_

Yachi opened his eyes confused as he felt the power running through his body and taking control over him, giving him an unstoppable power.

"That's it…" He smiled.

Now he could stand up to anything and anyone, he would kill all those who had hurt him and his little girl, destroying them just as they had done to him.

And he would start with Unit Six of the Administration Bureau.

* * *

**A/N: **Well that's it, for now. I don't want to sound mean or anything, but i'm glad i'm finally done with this story, or at least for the time being, it was getting too confusing for me to enjoy translating it, but anyway that's as far as it goes, I'll translate the next chapters as soon as they come out, let's hope it doesn't take too long.

Okay, now leaving that behind, I have something good to tell you guys, or at least good for you, not so much for me though, but anyway, I'm already working on three other stories. Yes, you read right, three, you'll probably thinking i'm some kind of masochists or something, and maybe I am, considering they are completely different from one another and the vocabulary in them is a little complicated. But I refuse to leave any of them for later, so I've accepted the challenge of doing all of them at the same time. Now, this also means that I won't update as frequently as I always do, I don't wanna kill myself so I'm gonna take my time with them. I'm not gonna tell you the name of the stories cause I want them to be a surprise, although some of you already know the name of one since I mentioned it in another story. So anyway, hope to see then soon, or at least one of them.

Thanks a lot for following this story until now and to those who always reviewed, I love you guys. Don't forget to check out my next stories, they are all good, I swear. Thanks again and see you all later ;D


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